Chris Wood 1,545 Report post Posted August 29, 2020 Sad news from Melbourne overnight, Ray Cleaver passed away, after being admitted to hospital on Friday. shaneMcAlister and Black Kirrama 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beecee 30 Report post Posted August 29, 2020 Yeah,had massive stroke and brain bleed.. Died in Frankston Hospital... Was part of our teenage team at Takanini... RIP mate... shaneMcAlister 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Kirrama 1,477 Report post Posted August 29, 2020 Thanks for that Chris and BC Many,many stories and yarns over the years with Raymond. Super Comet and the alleged false start at Te Rapa, Top trainer and great placer of horses. Ray had many "early morning discussions" with Cambridge Track managers including Ray Hawke. Had a very very good but unsound horse by Reindeer, Prancer for the Pollocks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gubellini 3,923 Report post Posted August 30, 2020 Ray Cleaver was the son of jockey Fred Cleaver. He was apprenticed to Don Grubb at Feilding and George Greene at Takanini before moving to Cambridge. Volare was another good horse he trained there. He trained many good horses at Cranbourne including Honest Politician and Dot Com. His best most recent runner was the Don Eduardo gelding Donarchie the winner of 8 from 74 starts and $187,193. Black Kirrama 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
crustyngrizzly 1,682 Report post Posted August 30, 2020 Remember him from his Waipa days with Luke Wilson. Did Prancer win 6/7 on end? Seem to recall that at one time he had the nickmame of""marmite". Black Kirrama 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
slam dunk 1,317 Report post Posted August 30, 2020 11 minutes ago, gubellini said: Ray Cleaver was the son of jockey Fred Cleaver. He was apprenticed to Don Grubb at Feilding and George Greene at Takanini before moving to Cambridge. Volare was another good horse he trained there. He trained many good horses at Cranbourne including Honest Politician and Dot Com. His best most recent runner was the Don Eduardo gelding Donarchie the winner of 8 from 74 starts and $187,193. Have you left out Wanganui ? I would have thought far more associated there than Cambridge. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pole 53 Report post Posted August 30, 2020 34 minutes ago, slam dunk said: Have you left out Wanganui ? I would have thought far more associated there than Cambridge. Did Ray train EL MAR , an open handicapper, while training in Cambridge? 1600 too 2000 mtr horse. Black Kirrama 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scooby3051 10,694 Report post Posted August 30, 2020 Wow shock news guess you think we will be around forever...one of the good guys and a good trainer too..RIP Mr Cleaver. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Memphis2 1,078 Report post Posted August 30, 2020 RIP Ray. Good bloke from my limited dealings with him. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbtab 95 Report post Posted August 30, 2020 Had a beer with him at Paeroa one day, after his horse was demoted after it brushed the second horse winning by a couple of lengths.He was that pissed he said that was it with NZ RACING and he left for Australia in a couple of months. Gruff and Black Kirrama 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gubellini 3,923 Report post Posted August 30, 2020 pole Elmar raced 63 times for 9 wins. Dave O’ Sullivan trained her initially but Ray Cleaver trained her at four onwards. For him she won a Dulcie Stakes at Te Rapa and a Kings Plate and Clifford Plate at Ellerslie. Black Kirrama 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gubellini 3,923 Report post Posted August 30, 2020 Ray was a successful apprentice winning 55 races. His first win was on Le Plus at Awapuni on the 30/4/66. Four days later he rode a double at Marton on Chatty Girl and Le Plus. Black Kirrama 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Kirrama 1,477 Report post Posted August 30, 2020 And GUB, some of our best jockeys rode for Ray Cleaver. Jockeys that rode Elmar were: Earl Harrison, Warwick Robinson, Chris McNab Brian York,Maurice Campbell and maybe Shane Dye . Ray Cleaver's mum and dad Fred and Ngaire ? retired to a home unit near us in the 1980's . Ray was a tough bastard but looked after his mum and dad and his children.And Sue. Ray told me one day that Joe Bromby and Alan Jones were nearly on his level when it came to being "astute Trainers ". Ray Clever's carefully planned coup with SUPER COMET at TeRapa and the "false start" earned Ray lots of mana ,Kudos. It does not compare to that of Alan Jones and Torbek /Shady Deal . But It came very close. Ray knew what times the Trains would hoot on the Main trunk Line . The Te Rapa Mile start is just 20 metres from the railway line. Apparently Mr George Lawson and his stipes spent days foraging for a Kids Hand held Hooter. Tony Enting may have helped with the searching. Quote s hand held Hooter. Starter Mr Fred Hain did not call a false start. Most riders heard a hooter. Or a Train Hoot. Not Super Comet's rider.Kicked hard from barriers and kept going. I was on the main Side on Video Camera from the tower that day. Jim Lambert Judge. Stipes on floor below. Good on You Ray Cleaver. crustyngrizzly and Memphis2 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wood 1,545 Report post Posted August 30, 2020 Ray used to ride trackwork in the Summer in shorts! Black Kirrama and Memphis2 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillipe 81 Report post Posted August 30, 2020 There are simple reasons why we all like this industry and the different people associated with racing is at the top for me. Ray Cleaver is one best trainers to place a horse, usually to suit Ray, and a fine bloke to have a beer with. Amusingly, your name came up last week is a conversation that had us laughing about the past. RIP. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gubellini 3,923 Report post Posted August 30, 2020 Rev Super Comet won 7 races from 47 starts. His only win at Te Rapa was on debut on the 25/3/81 ridden by Grant Cooksley. He was 2/2 in the betting and paid $4.50 and $1.70. The race was over 1200m not 1600m. Later in his career he was trained by Harvey Wadham and Shane Laming. Black Kirrama 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Kirrama 1,477 Report post Posted August 30, 2020 Exactly. right buddy. Several people this evening by phone and txt reminded me it was the 1200m or 1400m start with Grant on board. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdytdy 5,335 Report post Posted August 30, 2020 Ray was a good bugger. Enjoyed a beer or three with him at times. RIP Ray. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
crustyngrizzly 1,682 Report post Posted August 30, 2020 Seem to recall a nice One Pound Sterling horse he had called EXCHEQUER. Black Kirrama and Baz (NZ) 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gubellini 3,923 Report post Posted August 30, 2020 crustyngrizzly Exchequer raced 98 times for 10 wins and $126,295. Ray trained him for his first 6 wins then he was sent South to Garth Jackson who won 4 with him including the Greymouth Cup and the Kumara Nuggets. Black Kirrama, crustyngrizzly and Baz (NZ) 1 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue 1,080 Report post Posted August 30, 2020 Was nicknamed 'marmite' at one stage. Grew a thick black mo that looked like marmite on his top lip. Gruff 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ngatimaru 51 Report post Posted August 31, 2020 RIP Old Son. My we had some times eh!!! (the other RT ) Gruff 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baz (NZ) 1,719 Report post Posted August 31, 2020 15 hours ago, crustyngrizzly said: Seem to recall a nice One Pound Sterling horse he had called EXCHEQUER. Yep a very handy grey gelding he was. I have a race video from a race at Te Rapa featuring him in it. Ray had some handy horses through his stable over the years that many have already mentioned like Prancer & Elmar I remember. Also Sean’s Pride and the good filly Avana who from memory used to race in a shadow roll?? Black Kirrama 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomates 3,453 Report post Posted August 31, 2020 15 hours ago, crustyngrizzly said: Seem to recall a nice One Pound Sterling horse he had called EXCHEQUER. Half brother to a top horse in Mickey's Town , by Icelandic , both bred by B J Mcahill . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...