RIP DAVID COLES

Brian Russell profiles one of the true greats of the Australian thoroughbred industry …

AUSTRALIAN breeding and racing has lost a leader respected as an industry man of the twentieth century with the death this month in Adelaide at the age of 91 after a year long illness of David Coles.

In particular, he was inspirational as the head of the bloodstock sales company Coles Brothers in the emergence of South Australia in the1960s and1970s as a major breeding and sales force.

It was an era that saw leading buyers from around Australia and New Zealand visit each year for the annual South Australian yearling sales, then conducted in early February at Adelaide’s Wayville Showgrounds by Coles Brothers and later, with David Coles at the helm, Dalgety Bloodstock and then at a new venue at Morphettville, Australian Breeders Co-operative Society (ABCOS). David Coles was the dominant persuasive auctioneer for these sales and also for a time at sales in Perth run by Coles Elders.

The buyers were attracted to the sales by a huge lift in the quality of South Australian studs and the sires in their stallion yards. New studs playing big roles included Lindsay Park, a revolutionary breeding and training complex established in Barossa Valley grape growing country by dynamic trainer Colin Hayes, scrap metal merchant tycoon Brown brothers lakes bordered Narrung Stud, bookmaker Jim O’Connor’s Miluna Stud and the Neck’s Dibden Park, to mention four newcomers.

Also making a big appeal to buyers were the products of Adelaide chocolate king Claude Haigh’s Balcrest stud, Alf Crabb’s Tudor Vale, the Toole Brothers Kambula and H.C. Nitschke’s Nyroca Stud.

Coronation Boy, a champion Australian sire, ruled the roost at Balcrest and Tudor Vale hosted Biscay’s maternal grandsire Makarpura and Matrice’s sire Masthead.

Another quality contributor to the sales was Fulham Park, a stud established within coo-ee of the Adelaide Post Office by cattle king Sir Sidney Kidman and conducted after his death in1935 by his son Walter.

Sidney Kidman was the cornerstone of David Coles’s father, Ross, and uncle involving Coles Brothers in horse selling, using them to dispose of a huge number of horses produced on his far flung pastoral holdings. His Coles conducted horse sales at Kapunda, about 83 kms away from Adelaide, were considered the largest in the world.

In nearly 30 years of South Australian bloodstock sales organising and selling, David Coles was a university for many of the people who play important roles in breeding and racing today. At a celebration of his ninetieth birthday, one that fell on September 6 last year, he was lauded as a magnificent teacher and mentor to a host of well respected and successful personal in an era where you learnt your trade by doing pedigrees day and night and giving personal service to everyone.

David Coles graduates include Peter Heagney, Adrian Hancock, John Foote, Kevin Dagg, Denis Roberts, Neil Bowden, Ducan Grimley, Simon Vivian, David Bridgland, Alastair Pulford, David Jolly, Wayne Hawkes, Philippa Duncan, Adam White, Grant Burns and Hong Kong trainer David Hall.

Another was David Coles’s only son Ross, one who tragically died in a motor accident. David’s wife passed away several years ago, but he is survived by a daughter and her family.
When he banged the gavel down for the last time as a bloodstock salesman, David Coles became a consultant to the industry with office in the sales complex at Morphettville, one which is now under the banner of Magic Millions.

He was also very much involved with the management of the extensive Australian bloodstock interests of Robert Sangster’s Swettenham Stud operation.

Besides breeding, David Coles was very active in South Australian racing. He served on Race Club committees and was Chairman of the South Australian Jockey Club from 1984 to1989.

The tremendous respect engendered for David Coles (pictured below with Adam Sangster) has been shown by his induction into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, awarding of the Australia Medal (AM), Life Membership of the South Australian Jockey Club and also presentation of the prestigious Morphettville Equine Clinic Matrice Award. Made annually, the Matrice is an award made a person, organisation or a horse for outstanding contributions to the South Australian horse industry.