Gary Williams

[muzenza365]

I just read that Gary has passed away.

He had a Heart Attack whilst swimming.

He raced many good horses and was the father of Guy.

RIP

[Chief Stipe]

Yes he was a regular contributor on BOAY.  Condolences to the family and those close to Gary.

[hesi]

Yes, just posted about this on the other site.  He had part ownership in Pasta Post, Tinseltown and of course Xcellent.  Probably quite a few others.

He posted regularly on RC as Tasman Man, and was indeed a very good, pro-racing poster.  I enjoyed his posts, very informative

[mikeynz]

1 minute ago, hesi said:

Yes, just posted about this on the other site.  He had part ownership in Pasta Post, Tinseltown and of course Xcellent.  Probably quite a few others.

He posted regularly on RC as Tasman Man, and was indeed a very good, pro-racing poster.  I enjoyed his posts, very informative

Tasman Man, was he from Tasman, just curious?

[hesi]

Just now, mikeynz said:

Tasman Man, was he from Tasman, just curious?

Pass

[PeterLambFan]

17 minutes ago, mikeynz said:

Tasman Man, was he from Tasman, just curious?

I don’t know for a fact but I believe Guy Williams grew up in Nelson and the family spent some time living there anyway. 

Edited November 12 by PeterLambFan

[mikeynz]

Be interesting to wind the clock back 10 years on these forums and know how many have expired, racing is the domain it seems the older generation......similar to callers on ZB, you just never know what's happened to them if they ain't been heard for sometime.

[Chief Stipe]

40 minutes ago, hesi said:

Yes, just posted about this on the other site.  He had part ownership in Pasta Post, Tinseltown and of course Xcellent.  Probably quite a few others.

He posted regularly on RC as Tasman Man, and was indeed a very good, pro-racing poster.  I enjoyed his posts, very informative

I think you'll find he had more success with harness racing.

[Taupiri Wonder]

I met Gary on many occasions at Alex Park/Ellerslie Racetracks when he retired to Auckland.Yes,he was a Mainlander,& played first class cricket for Otago I think!

Believe he spent time working overseas,then returned to NZ & an early McDonalds Franchisee.

A keen sportsman,tabletennis in his youth & basketball administration in later years,combined with dual racing code interests.

Hesi has noted three of his glamour part-ownership horses,another was Changeover.

[Chief Stipe]

Gary owned harness horses that won 20 Grp ones.

[billy connolly]

1 hour ago, PeterLambFan said:

I don’t know for a fact but I believe Guy Williams grew up in Nelson and the family spent some time living there anyway. 

Originally from the Taieri Plains area of Mosgiel and was a neighbour of three-time Wellington Cup winner, Great Sensation.

An entertaining and eloquent poster here.

R.I.P. TAB For Ever.
 

[mikeynz]

15 minutes ago, billy connolly said:

Originally from the Taieri Plains area of Mosgiel and was a neighbour of three-time Wellington Cup winner, Great Sensation.

An entertaining and eloquent poster here.

R.I.P. TAB For Ever.
 

You sure?

[Murray Fish]

Vale @TAB For Ever  (aka The Pollyanna of things nz racing...)

Tributes for former Nelson business and sports leader Gary Williams

Gary Williams managed the Nelson Giants basketball team for several years, bringing his trademark yarns, humour and energy to the role. Photo: Supplied

Former businessman and sports administrator Gary Williams has been remembered as a passionate Nelsonian who brought humour and “wonderful energy” to his roles.

Williams, aged 72, died in Auckland a week ago after swimming at Kohimarama Beach.

In a written tribute, his son comedian Guy Williams, said his father “went out in typical showman fashion, having a heart attack during a swim with his mates at the ‘high tide club’.”

Williams said his father was a “beautiful, incredibly kind and friendly man”.

Guy Williams with his dad Gary on his show

“I think it’s high praise to say he was always friendly and happy and seemed to live to just want to make everyone around him feel happy.”

Gary Williams outside the Nelson McDonald’s he owned and operated in 2006. Photo: Phil Barnes / Nelson Mail

Gary Williams grew up in Otago where he developed his love of sports, including representing the province in cricket. After a world trip, during which he met his wife Roseanne in Bermuda, the couple moved to Nelson where they had three children, Guy, Maria and Paul.

Williams trained as an accountant and went on to be a successful business owner/operator of two McDonald’s restaurants in Nelson and Tāhunanui.

He turned his sporting talents to administration, managing the Nelson Giants basketball team for several years through the 2010s.

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In a tribute this week, the Giants said he was “always quick with a smile and never short of a yarn, Gary brought wonderful energy wherever he went.

“Gary was a passionate Nelsonian, and his work with the club was top class.”

He was also a supporter of the wider Nelson basketball community, sponsoring junior basketball and Nelson College and Nelson representative sides that sons Guy and Paul played in.

Guy Williams, shown with sister and fellow comedian Maria Williams, said their father Gary gave them an “irreverent sense of humour”. Photo: RICKY WILSON / Stuff

Guy Williams said his dad gave his children every opportunity to do whatever they wanted in life.

“I think he wanted us to be athletes but we didn’t have the talent for that, so he ended up with three comedians,” Guy Williams said.

“I think we get our irreverent sense of humour from Dad who was always funny and trying to make people laugh. Gotta emphasise the word ‘trying’ which he always taught me was the secret.“

When his playing days were over, Guy said his dad became their coach who taught the local school kids his wisdom: “Ability is one thing, reliability is everything”.

“That’s a decent quote for life I reckon. I learned a lot from my dad as a coach, he was a patient and thoughtful leader, who didn’t have time for dickheads.“

More local stories from the Nelson Mail

Read more

Guy Williams said Gary was a legendary road manager/water boy of his beloved Nelson Giants and later a table tennis administrator around Auckland.

“Gazza bloody loved horse racing his entire life, and enjoyed spending Friday nights wandering around the stables yarning to horse people about horses,” Guy Williams said. He was a small time investor in many successful race horses, most notably Xcellent who ran third at the Melbourne Cup.

Gary Williams’ funeral will be held at St Ignatius Church in St Heliers, Auckland next Saturday.

- Nelson Mail

Edited November 14 by Murray Fish

[Murray Fish]

[Murray Fish]

[Chief Stipe]

59 minutes ago, Murray Fish said:

Vale @TAB For Ever  (aka The Pollyanna of things nz racing...)

Actually I used to have that opinion of Gary but before I worked out who he was I twigged to his sense of humour.  Then I saw more of the humour in his posts.  I daresay not many got it.  If you watch his cameo appearances on his son's show and other comedy appearances you get an understanding of his dry and  self deprecating wit.

[Gammalite]

oh no. 😔 that is quite flattening.

I really liked that guy , and he always was totally nice to myself and we enjoyed many interesting conversation at BOAY.

Including chatting about LEADERBOARD winning the Grand National and much more stuff like that. 

He always helped increase my knowledge on topics and was a pleasure on BOAY to correspond with here.

I'll miss him here, but am delighted to see he had a helping hand in so many projects and sports ,  That it filled his lifetime with great enjoyment and many fantastic moments. North and South Island . He had to fight to fight against Auckland bashers here , but stuck to the task to defend the people he mixed with around him in Aucland with Gusto , and intelligence. Loved his ATC trots and Karaka Millions . on ya Gary. 

R.I.P Gary Williams . a fine kiwi TABman. 

[Taupiri Wonder]

2 hours ago, Gammalite said:

R.I.P Gary Williams . a fine kiwi TABman. 

and in the pre-BOAY era: a fine Tasman Man

[Chief Stipe]

This is the most comprehensive obituary I have seen for Gary Williams (aka @TAB For Ever)

Vale Gary Williams

14 November 2025 , Obituary

By Garrick Knight

Northern harness racing has lost of one its biggest supporters with the sudden and unexpected passing of Gary Williams.

The 72-year-old father of three died while swimming at his local Kohimarama Beach in Central Auckland last Saturday morning.

It came as shock to many in the racing industry, including the dozens of people who had their weekly conversation with him at Alexandra Park the night before.

Williams was ever present at the Auckland track on Friday nights in his role as a Race Night Steward, one that the genial and personable gentleman was so well suited to.

“Gary joined the Auckland Trotting Club in 2013 and was a valuable, engaged and proactive member of the club,” said Club President, Jamie MacKinnon.

“More recently, he joined the Race Night Steward team, which looks after the sponsors, winning owners and trainers of each race.

“Gary was very good at this with his friendly and interested manner.

“Each race night he wandered the course and always had a time for a hello and chat with everyone who crossed his path.

“He will be sorely missed by the ATC and all the industry.”

Williams was also a member of the Caduceus Club and a former committee member with that group.

His biggest contribution to ‘the game’ was no doubt as an owner where he enjoyed considerable success as a syndicate member in both equine codes.

In October 2023, he celebrated his 500th winner as an owner and was on course to see his charge, High Step win in Melbourne.

At the time, 374 of those winners were in harness racing and many more have been added to that tally in the ensuing two years.

Many of those came with involvement in lots of syndications; firstly the now-defunct Auckland Trotting Club Syndicates and more recently, as part of the annual syndicates put together by Breckon Farms to race their retained fillies.

“Gary was a member of ten of the ATC Syndicates and had a total of 166 wins, including the Group 1 winners, Changeover, Tintin In America, Matai Mackenzie and Ideal Belle,” said Rob Carr, manager for both syndication groups.

“He was also member of 10 Breckon Farms Syndicates and had a total of 130 wins, including the Group 1 winners, Luby Lou, Partyon, Tickle Me Pink, Bettor Twist, A Bettor You and High Energy.

“Gary enthusiastically shared his thoughts on his horses’ performances and attended most of their race meetings, travelling throughout New Zealand and Australia.

“He will be sadly missed, for his very positive and enthusiastic attitude, his kindness and friendship to all and his contribution to the racing industry.”

Changeover gave Williams a cherished win in the biggest race on the calendar – the 2008 New Zealand Cup.

“Changeover was one of four horses in a 50-person syndicate, but it was the most profitable of any that I’ve been in,” said Williams in a 2023 story in RaceForm.

“He won over $2 Million on the track and when he retired to stud, we collected another $2.5 Million!”

Williams’ gallops successes were highlighted by the prodigiously talented Xcellent, whose four Group 1 wins included the New Zealand Derby and Kelt Capital Stakes.

But he is best remembered for his 2005 Melbourne Cup placing.

Williams also won an Easter Handicap and City of Auckland Cup with Pasta Post and, just this year, a Grand National Steeplechase in Australia with the Mark Walker-trained Leaderboard, who also won a Wellington Cup.

Away from horses, Williams lead an interesting and varied life, that started out in Mosgiel, near Dunedin, where he grew up.

Many Saturdays were spent at nearby Wingatui racecourse or any other racetracks in the wider region that were running meetings.

He was drawn to the industry and was soon helping out at the stables of local trainer Gordon Thomson, who prepared the mighty mare, Show Gait.

Eventually, his career took priority and Williams studied accountancy at Otago University.

He was a talented sportsman, captaining Otago Boys High School’s First XV Rugby side and he played first class cricket as a wicketkeeper for Otago eight times in the mid-to-late 1970s.

Once graduating, he spent seven years in Bermuda, where he met his wife, Canadian-born Roseanne.

He even represented Bermuda at the World Table Tennis Championships.

After returning to New Zealand in the late 1980s, he and Roseanne settled in Nelson, where they purchased two McDonald’s fast-food franchises and raised three children – Guy, Maria and Paul.

“It was 20 years of hard work, but it enabled me to retire earlier than most people,” said Williams in that same RaceForm story.

One of the first horses he bought in to was the appropriately named galloper Mac ‘N’ Fries but soon to follow was Xcellent and champion pacer Changeover, among many others.

“I only had four percent of Xcellent, but what a time we all had! He won the Derby at just his third start, and the following spring he finished third in the Melbourne Cup.

“That day at Flemington, there I was looking for a seat in the stand, and I ended up sitting next to Bart Cummings – you could never buy those sorts of experiences!”

Williams spent his retirement in Nelson playing and coaching basketball and table tennis, as well as managing the Nelson Giants basketball team.

The Nelson Giants and Table Tennis New Zealand were among the many to post tributes to Williams this week, as well as trainers of both equine codes, too many to mention.

The messages bore a common theme – that Williams was a kind, genuine man that had a real affinity for people.

Eldest son, well-known comedian Guy, posted a tribute to his father on Thursday and re-enforced what those in the racing industry had come to learn over the past few decades.

“Dad was a beautiful man, incredibly kind and friendly.

“I reckon his main goal in life was just having a laugh with anyone and everyone.

“He was an incredibly patient and gentle father who gave everything his all, he was kind and generous to everyone around him.”

Gary and Roseanne moved to Kohimarama just over a decade ago and those lucky enough to have him on Facebook saw regular postings of his regular exploits around his community, including swims, bike rides and walks.

It was on one of those daily jaunts, and amongst his good friends - a swimming group known as the High Tide Club - that he met his sudden end.

If there is such a thing as divine intervention, two of Williams horses may well salute the judge this weekend.

Firstly, at Cambridge on Friday night, Rubble On The Double will shoot for a second straight win for trainers, Dylan and Jo Ferguson.

And then on Saturday, at Riccarton, Court Of Appeal will contest the Gr.3 $450,000 New Zealand Cup for trainers, Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson.

Williams had plans in place to attend Cup Week in Christchurch. The colours of both horses will bear black armbands in his memory.

“Gary loved the industry, and he was everyone’s biggest supporter,” said Jo Ferguson, who would see him every Friday night at Alexandra Park.

“He was such a lovely man, and his loss will be widely felt across the industry up here.”

[mikeynz]

Didn't mention his strange perception of people in the South, especially having lived there once he should have been a bit smarter on that one, didn't understand that my attitude of Auckland which many agree with as in the way it's changing in demagraph is correct, I think living there you will develop a distorted perception of the rest of the country, he certainly did on that one, was still good giving him a hard time on anything Auckland, one thing he did  teach us is, you can be here today gone tomorrow which puts most things in perspective that many of the things we really worry about don't matter that much in the final reality.

[Chief Stipe]

4 minutes ago, mikeynz said:

Didn't mention his strange perception of people in the South, especially having lived there once he should have been a bit smarter on that one, didn't understand that my attitude of Auckland which many agree with as in the way it's changing in demagraph is correct, I think living there you will develop a distorted perception of the rest of the country, he certainly did on that one, was still good giving him a hard time on anything Auckland, one thing he did  teach us is, you can be here today gone tomorrow which puts most things in perspective that many of the things we really worry about don't matter that much in the final reality.

I disagree entirely with you.  He had a fantastic hard working life and all of from his own efforts.  From being brought up as child in Otago and educated at Otago Uni to Bermuda to Nelson to Auckland and Christchurch may have been in there somewhere.  

Clearly coming back from the USA he picked up those two MacDonalds franchises and made good money from them.

He had a very dry at times provocative sense of humour and if you didn't get cotton on you'd wind yourself up.  Contrary to what you might think he was very loyal to the South and I'm sure at times he would test us mainlanders for our own loyalty.  I doubt he would have ever fully converted to the Blues and would have been a Crusaders fan!