Vale Mick Mair

By Jordan Gerrans

Long-time Caloundra trainer Mick Mair is being remembered as an astute horseman with a witty sense of humour following his sad passing on Thursday morning. 

Originally from Sydney, Mair has resided on the Sunshine Coast for the best part of the last four decades before succumbing to his battle with bowel cancer this week.

While the Group 1-winning trainer fought bravely in recent years, his love of racing was not lost.

He was on track at Corbould Park on Sunday afternoon as his stable had a runner – Perfect Power – who finished third in a maiden event.

Mair called Warwick Farm in New South Wales home before relocating to the Sunshine State almost 40 years ago.

Fellow veteran Sunshine Coast trainer Trevor Miller moved to Caloundra six months after Mair, and they have enjoyed a close association since. 

“I had always got on well with Mick and never had a blue with him in the 37 years I knew him,” Miller said.

“I always found him to be a straight shooter and it is very sad about his passing.

“We were close mates at the races and the racetrack.

“He respected me, and I had respect for him.”

For friends of the late trainer, his sense of humour is what always stood out.

“He was a funny bloke, he was always telling jokes – that was the main thing he did, tell jokes,” Miller said.

“I only saw him on Sunday afternoon at the races.”

Gary “Jack” Duncan echoed Miller’s sentiments, stating that the late trainer’s quick wit always stood out to him.

“I have only been here for a decade, but I quickly become friendly with him, we became good mates,” Duncan said.

“Everyone knew how witty he was, he was always good for a laugh.

“He was very good on the one-liners.”

The last horse to win under the Mair banner was gelding Keeta, who did so on his home track earlier this month in a Class 5 event over the sprint journey.

“He kept training winners until recently and you always respected his horses when they were in a race,” Duncan said.

“He was a very good trainer.”

The great Swiss Ace was one of the best Mair ever put a saddle on.

Swiss Ace won 12 of his 20 career starts, headlined by the 2009 Group 1 Oakleigh Plate.

Swiss Ace also collected a Weetwood Handicap on the Darling Downs as well as a Group 2 Sir Byrne Hart Stakes –now known as the Victory Stakes – and a Listed Chief De Beers Quality in 2008.

A race named in the galloper's honour – the $125,000 Swiss Ace Plate – will be held next month at the Sunshine Coast’s Mooloolaba Cup Raceday.

On top of his training feats and ability to amuse his friends and colleagues, Mair also helped drive the direction of racing in Queensland.

He served for 10 years on the Sunshine Coast Turf Club committee.

“He has been an integral part of the Turf Club here since nearly its inception,” Sunshine Coast Turf Club CEO John Miller said.

“He won many training premierships at the Sunshine Coast as well as being on the board of the club.

“He was awarded as a life member and was still at the races as recently as last Sunday.

“He will be sadly missed by a lot of people at the Turf Club.”

Following Mair’s passing this week, Duncan is happy to say he got to have one final chat with his mate on Sunday following the last event.

“He was always good for a yarn, I would yarn to him every Sunday at the races about different things,” Duncan said.

“He would love to tell stories about when he was a young fella.

“I am glad now that I went and spoke to him on Sunday just gone when I was leaving the races, we had a good chat on Sunday.”

The Mair stable was up in lights earlier this year after pocketing a sizeable Magic Millions bonus.

Sneaky Starter finished a dead-heat for seventh in the 2YO Classic as a $201 pop, collecting $325,000 from the lucrative Racing Women’s Bonus.

The $500,000 bonus is given to the first four all-female owned horses to cross the line in the feature race, with just three runners eligible in the 2022 field.

“Mick always had a great sense of humour from my interactions with him and from stories we heard through other participants and industry figures,” Racing Queensland CEO Brendan Parnell said.

“He was a respected mentor to our up-and-coming riders throughout his career, as well as being a Group 1-winning trainer.

“The entire racing community is mourning the loss of Mick, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family."

The Mair stable has three runners entered for Friday's racing at the Sunshine Coast, with another set to face the judge on Sunday afternoon.