Vale Peter Tonkin

One of Victoria’s most innovative and influential trainers, Peter Tonkin, passed away on 8 April, on his 70th birthday.

Tonkin, the father of master horseman Clayton Tonkin, was a star in his own right, firstly training on the beach at Portland before setting-up a hugely successful property at Smythesdale, near Ballarat.

His breakthrough win came with Paris Affair in the 1999 A G Hunter Cup, but Tonkin also won the 2007 Victoria Cup with Robin Hood and the 2009 Chariots Of Fire with Maffioso.

Tonkin trained 1408 winners at a superb strike rate of over 20 per cent, including 13 at Group 1 level and earnings of over $8.4 million.

“I wouldn’t be in the game if it wasn’t for him,” Clayton said. “He believed in me more than I believed in myself. He was our biggest and most loyal supporter.”

Clayton recalls taking injury-plagued horses to the Portland beach with his father as an early teenager.

“We grew up in a commission home and Dad was a meat worker, like his family before him,” he said. “He drove trucks at night as well, anything to try to give us a better life.

“He loved the horses, mainly training broken down ones and trying to get them back to the races in those Portland days.”

Then along came Paris Affair.

“He changed everything. Dad trained him on half-stakes, which meant he got half the prize money from the Hunter Cup win and it really did change our lives,” Clayton said.

“It gave him the money to buy the property at Ballarat and that’s when he said let’s try and buy some young horses, rather than just resurrect old ones.

“He had success straight away. Robin Hood was one of the early ones. Maffioso not long after. Even Safari was only a $15,000 yearling.”

Champion driver Chris Alford, who drove Paris Affair and Maffioso to their biggest wins, recalled the fantastic job Tonkin did resurrecting Paris Affair.

“He was before his time a bit in that regard,” he said. “Paris Affair had all sorts of issues and he got him right using that beach at Portland and then came out and won our (Victoria’s) biggest race. It was an amazing achievement.

“It was basically my introduction to Pete. My first two drives for him were running a lead-up race on Paris Affair to get him into the Hunter Cup and then the Cup itself. His regular driver, Rod Barker, was suspended and I got the call-up out of the blue.

“I’ve got Pete to thank for one of my most special moments in the game, my first Hunter Cup. It was that win and the early success I had with Golden Reign that really put me on the map. I remember Pete telling me it changed his life, too.”

Tonkin also enjoyed a great friendship and huge success with the late champion driver Gavin Lang, who teamed with him to win the Victoria Cup aboard Robin Hood.

Robin Hood was Tonkin’s best performed pacer with 24 wins and almost $800,000 in prize money. Along with his 2007 Victoria Cup win, Robin Hood also won the 2008 Treuer Memorial, 2006 Ballarat Cup and 2005 Kilmore Cup, all at Group 1 level. He ran third in the 2005 Miracle Mile and third in the 2006 Victoria Cup.

Lang, one of Australasia’s greatest drivers, passed away in late 2020. Almost a year later, leviathan harness punter and bookmaker Tom “Tara” Hogan passed away – Hogan, Tonkin and Lang were the closest of friends.

Tonkin’s success was the foundation of the now powerhouse Tonkin-Stewart Racing operation, which Clayton runs with Emma Stewart.

Tonkin is survived by his ex-wife Mary, daughters Nicole and Kelly and son, Clayton.

Harness Racing Victoria extends its condolences to Tonkin’s family and many friends.