George Hanlon was one of Australia's most respected trainers who will be remembered for crafting some of the nation's finest stayers

George Hanlon was born in July 1917, the sixth of 12 children, and spent his early days at Willunga, near McLaren Vale, where he learned to ride at the age of five and found a job delivering groceries on his pony. His destiny was sealed as a 12-year-old when the family moved 40km north to Adelaide and he saw Phar Lap win the Elders Stakes and the King's Plate at Morphettville in May 1930. Much of George's time was soon spent working as a stablehand for Adelaide based trainer Jim Cummings, who trained the 1950 Melbourne Cup winner, Comic Court. On August 1, 1946 he was granted an owner-trainer's permit in South Australia. With just one horse in his stable Hanlon had instant success, winning his first race with Lourdes at Port Pirie the following month. Early on George learned that attention to detail was important when a stable plunge on Lourdes at Ballarat went horribly wrong in August 1948.

In his anticipation of a big win he left the lead bag off the horse who duly won easily but weighed in light and was disqualified. George was both shattered and broke but backed his ability as a trainer and the following year established a bank for his move to Melbourne when Lourdes scored at Oakbank. George trained for 35 years at his Correct Lodge stables at Epsom but he realised a dream to have his own training set-up when he moved to Leopold, near Geelong, in the mid-1980s.Drawing on what he had seen at Newmarket in England, he mapped out gallops on his 40ha property and in his own inimitable style followed his horses in a four-wheel drive jeep, shouting instructions to the riders while monitoring his speedo. For George the challenge was to "make" a horse and in his time he made some of the best including Taras Bulba, Gnapur, Prince Salieri, Our Pompeii, Bobalex, Royal Snack, Mr. Prudent, Our Sophia, Marjoleo and Bellition. Often they were pick-ups from other stables and many of Hanlon's peers agree that had he had access to more royally-bred stock his record would have been even better.

Every horse, he maintained, was different and each had a tailored training program to suit the individual. In 1951 Scobie Breasley rode George's first city winner, Anglo. But it was Correct who underlined his guile as a trainer, transforming the horse from a dual Newmarket Hcp winner (1960-61) into a Werribee Cup winner in 1961 and then becoming his first of an amazing 47 Melbourne Cup runners from 1961 to 2002.But what should have been one his best days at the races turned out to be one of his worst with the race favourite Matloch breaking a knee and falling while stablemates Algalon and Pleasanton got hopelessly caught up in the backwash. In 1972 Hanlon had four runners in the Cup and won it for the first time with Piping Lane. Arwon scored in 1978 and Black Knight in 1984. Hanlon also finished second with Vansittart (1970), Noble Comment (1982 and third in 1983) and Mr. Prudent (2002).

None however was better than Family Of Man. He came along not long after Taras Bulba captured the AJC's Australasian Champion Stakes, the Rosehill Guineas and AJC Derby, among other races, before being transferred to Tommy Smith. In March 1975 Family of Man won the House of Windsor Stakes (1400m) and George, in a career highlight, was introduced to Queen Elizabeth II who presented the trophy at Flemington. Family Of Man went on to win 21 races in all including the 1977 Cox Plate, the WATC Australian Derby, two WATC Marlboro 50,000's, a Caulfield Stakes, a Mackinnon Stakes and a George Adams Handicap. Hanlon rated Lawman, owned by Holmes a Court, second only to Family Of Man. He won a Group One Doncaster and was an unlucky second to Kingston Town in the 1982 Cox Plate. Boardwalk Angel was also another good winner for Hanlon and Holmes a Court, providing the trainer with his second of four Group One Goodwood Handicaps in 1989.

Among Hanlon's most important wins was the 1982 Australian Cup with Kip. The victory drew special attention as the horse started at $41 after being beaten easily at his previous run when fancied, but the punters deserted the horse at his next start. George was renowned for his discerning eye which he cast his over all his horses, looking for that tell-tale sign that might just give him an edge next start. Lee Freedman, who followed Hanlon's example and developed his own training complex at Rye, said Hanlon was inspirational. Indeed, George was a class act.

As one veteran pressman once wrote: "When they made George Hanlon they broke the mould.