Vale Tom Martin
Cranbourne club stalwart Tom Martin has passed away at age 92.
Martin served as the club farrier for 25 years until his retirement in 1969. His original blacksmiths shop still stands in a corner of the float park at the Cranbourne Racing Centre as something of a monument to a bygone era.
Tom shod many of the stable stars from the stables of Gordon Rothaker, Don Dove and Ted Demmler but always maintained that the best horse he ever put a set of shoes on was the great WA horse Pure Steel. He also tried his hand at training and driving in the 1950’s with a handy mare Mulvina Queen and was followed into the sport by his three sons Daryl, Terry and Peter.
Tom’s legacy also lives on through his great nephew Matt Martin who is the farrier for the Peter Moody stable tending to the amazing mare Black Caviar.
A funeral service is to be held at 10am on Monday 20th February at St Agatha’s Church in Cranbourne.
