Don McKenzie is being remembered as “an absolute gentleman” who bred plenty of winners.
Since the 1970s McKenzie bred and/or raced more than 50 horses either on his own account or in partnership. Among his best known horses were $1m earner The Vulcan, Genius and more recently Invictus.
He died at his North Canterbury home over the weekend after a battle with cancer.
“He was just the most marvellous person,” says Jenny Butt, who bred 32 horses with McKenzie over the past 40 or so years.
“We said our goodbyes about a month ago and it was heartbreaking.”
“He was just a really good person who would do anything for anyone.”
Another to know him well was northern trainer Bernie Hackett.
“We went back about 25 years,” says Hackett, “He was an absolute gentleman. He never complained about anything and was the first to ring to if someone else’s horse that I trained won a race.”
They were in regular contact.
“We spoke to each other every week.”
McKenzie was known as a hard worker.
“He was a freezing worker and a timber worker,” says Butt, “him and his children once cleared 100 acres of gorse around Omoto near Greymouth. He planted a lot of pine trees and did quite well out of that.”
Jenny Butt got to know McKenzie initially through her late husband Murray.
“It started with Kitty’s Pride and then with Abundant – she was enormous for us.”
Kitty’s Pride won three races for Murray Butt in the mid 1980s while Abundant did not win a race but turned into a broodmare gem.
Among Abundant’s progeny that McKenzie and Butt bred was Genius (24 wins) while Epona (Sundon – Abundant) produced multiple Group 1 winner and trotting millionaire Vulcan. Another of Epona’s best performers was Invictus with 14 wins.
“Abundant’s mares just produced winner after winner,” says Butt.
Early on many of the McKenzie – Butt horses were trained and driven by Jenny’s sons Tim and Anthony. They were a potent combination.
The Hackett- Michelle Wallis stable entered the frame a bit later on.
“The first two we trained for them were Genius and Princess Mackendon,” says Hackett.
“We had 17 wins with Genius.”
That was between 2007 and 2009 with Wallis as the official trainer while Princess Mackendon won nine races for Wallis-Hackett between 2015-18.
Invictus was trained by the duo throughout his racing career in New Zealand with 14 wins before being exported in Australia two years ago.
Other top performers that McKenzie was involved in were Sassy Pants and Thanesan (both 9 wins).
Don McKenzie was 77.
“It’s a real shame,” says Hackett, “he was one of the best.”
