Mr George Cameron

Press, 19 April 1989, Page 46

Mr George Cameron

George Cameron, a successful Canterbury harness racing trainer and the father of the Fernside trainer, lan Cameron, died at his home in Christchurch late last week. He was aged 85.

Mr Cameron, who immigrated to New Zealand from Scotland in 1920, prepared several top horses and gained his first big success with the trotter Margin in the 1942 Dominion Handicap at Addington Raceway. Margin, which earlier won a Rowe Cup before joining Mr Cameron’s New Brighton stable, became only the third trotter to win the .elusive double, although the feat has been achieved many

times since. Mr Cameron prepared his team on the New Brighton Club’s old track at Queen Elizabeth II Park until that course was closed in the mid-19605. He then utilised New Brighton beach for his training and in latter years stabled a team on a smaller scale at the late Mrs Nellie Winter’s Marshland property. Other top horses Mr Cameron trained were Stylos (1966 New Zealand Oaks, nine wins), Gay Lyric (nine wins), Solemn (four wins, the runner-up in the 1962 New Zealand Oaks), and Swift Princess, which provided him with his last feature success in

the 1976 New Zealand Oaks.

Other useful horses he trained were El Adams (Waimate Cup), Secondus (Westport Cup), Cincinattus (Marlborough Cup), Maori Queen, Heathmount (four wins, the dam of Classic Bawn), and Scott Wrack (a half-brother to top pacer, Vedette), which Mr Cameron produced to win at outside odds at the 1954 Addington Easter meeting, paying 83 pounds for a win and 12 pounds for a place. Mr Cameron is survived by his wife, Norma, and six sons and daughters, including Lorraine, who is married to the Rangiora trainer, Erin Crawford.