A Former WA Turf Club promotions officer Marjorie Charleson, a Perth racing trailblazer, died on Saturday aged 88.
The following is an article by Ernie Manning published in recent years on the enormous contribution Marjorie made to the racing and breeding industries -
A decision to introduce the Marjorie Charleson Classic is one of the most richly deserved honours in WA racing history.
The $100,000 feature event is a fitting and genuine tribute to Marjorie's remarkable contribution during 16 years as WA Turf Club public relations officer in racing's golden era.
A deep passion for racing and unlimited dedication resulted in her recruitment of numerous Australasian star gallopers to compete at Ascot carnivals.
The atmosphere was electric when more than 40,000 Perth racegoers watched turf great Kingston Town, whose connections were encouraged by Marjorie to race in WA after his record-breaking third consecutive Cox Plate triumph. Ascot erupted as the champion edged ahead to achieve a Western Mail Classic victory.
Attendance has been confirmed at an incredible 47,000 when Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide Cups winner Reckless raced at Ascot. The idolised stayer and his revered veteran trainer Tommy Woodcock had become the Australian people's favourite.
Tommy, who was the legendary Phar Lap's loyal strapper more than 40 years earlier, endeared himself to the public by letting children ride an extremely docile Reckless.
Marjorie, the first public relations officer appointed by a principal Australian thoroughbred race club, brought off an amazing coup when Tommy agreed to her suggestion that Reckless race in Perth.
Ever gracious, Marjorie admits she was stunned when Perth Racing recently asked her approval to launch the Marjorie Charleson Classic on WA Oaks and Amelia Park-Karrakatta Plate day.
"My work has been all about the racing industry," Marjorie said. "I've never sought personal glory, and this great honour has come as a complete surprise. I was so fortunate to be directly involved in those magic years of WA racing. Horses have been a priority in my life since I was five years old.
"I've been overwhelmed by congratulatory phone calls and letters since the classic's announcement."
Marjorie is quick to say her promotion of Ascot and Belmont Park racing was driven by extraordinary leadership and support from outstanding WA Turf Club chief executive the late Harry Bolton.
Arriving from South Australian in 1958, Harry Bolton inspired resurrection of the WATC and during a 20-year term as CEO he gave the club its prime respect in Australasian racing.
Thoroughbred industry businesswoman Mary Gracie so appropriately summed up her feelings in a Letter To The Editor which was given prominent publication by The West Australian.
Mary told readers the Marjorie Charleson Classic could be seen as an honour which was long overdue.
She then wrote, so accurately, that Marjorie Charleson and Harry Bolton had probably been the best ever administrators and promotion officials in Australian racing.
Marjorie was a popular and respected visitor to Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide racing carnivals from the early 1970s to the mid 1980s. New Zealand was also a promotional destination for the public relations dynamo.
She was at trackwork sessions from 4am, then attended city and provincial race meetings. Always chatting to trainers, jockeys and owners, Marjorie eloquently told them of Perth racing's attractions.
"I thought it was important to meet trainers and jockeys in their own territory, at early morning trackwork," Marjorie said. "They respected my presence and the appreciated information I gave them on Perth carnivals.
"I was always welcomed on my trackwork visits and as a result, we had many high profile trainers bring over horses who helped draw big crowds."
There were also Marjorie's frequent interstate and local media work, participating in interviews with prominent broadcasters and newspaper journalists. As well, Marjorie hosted interstate cocktail parties, providing even more opportunities to promote WA carnivals.
Champion trainers Bart Cummings, Tommy Smith, Colin Hayes, George Hanlon, John Hawkes, Geoff Murphy and Angus Armanasco brought topliners to Perth carnivals through the 1970s and into the early 1980s. Andy White, Grahame Heagney and Owen Lynch were also high profile trainers who flew in class gallopers to tackle Perth carnivals.
Then there were the New Zealand trainers including Ian Steffert, a winner of two Perth Cups with veteran marvel Magistrate, and Barney Meyer, an Australian Derby victor with Kankama.
Premier jockeys Roy Higgins, Malcolm Johnston, Mick Dittman, Harry White, Darren Gauci, Brent Thomson, John Stocker and Kevin Langby arrived to ride the raiders.
They helped draw enormous crowds to Ascot.
Summer carnivals featured glamour to extent that impressed sponsors generously donated expensive cars as winning trainers' trophies.
And, it wasn't just Ascot spring-summer carnivals which drew invaders.
Colin Hayes flew stable stars in to tackle Perth autumn and winter feature events. Angus Armanasco also had Belmont winter carnival starters.
Attracting drawcard horses to Perth was only the first step in Marjorie's book.
She was at Perth airport to greet trainers, jockeys, owners and horses, no matter what hour they arrived.
Airport security personnel ushered Marjorie out on to the tarmac to get a first look at visiting gallopers.
"I'll never forget watching as an air-freighter's rear door was lowered, and out looked Kingston Town," Marjorie said. "I cried in disbelief. I was so emotional that that such a champion had come to Perth.
"Three months earlier, when I was visiting Sydney, Tommy Smith and Kingston Town's owner
David Hains had promised me they would consider bringing him to Ascot. And here he was. It was beyond imagination."
Marjorie also arranged stabling for visiting horses. On a daily basis, she did her rounds, checking that all horses had settled in well and connections were happy with facilities.
"Personal welcomes and hospitality are so important," Marjorie said. "In view of our approach, so many leading trainers were keen to return here year after year, always bringing top-line gallopers.
"To also make visitors feel at home, we started Racing Masses, which drew packed congregations."
The WA Turf Club Christmas Day luncheons, held at the Parmelia Hotel, were legendary. Marjorie hosted visiting trainers, jockeys and owners.
A number of the jockeys were top overseas riders, here to compete in International Jockeys' Championships at Ascot summer carnivals.
Overseas stars Lester Piggott, Steve Cauthen and Willie Carson were among jockeys who rode at Ascot in summer.
The visiting overseas jockeys' era had begun when Gianfranco Dettori (father of champion English rider Frankie Dettori) competed in Perth during two stints in 1969 and 1970.
"I remember one Christmas Day when Melbourne trainer Andy White received a phone call, during luncheon celebrations at the Parmelia," Marjorie said. "He was told that his Perth Cup runner Rothschild's rider would not be able to travel here for the cup.
"I said to Andy, 'Sitting over there is a world-class distance rider, Willie Carson'. A booking was confirmed and Willie won the Perth Cup on Rothschild."
In Marjorie's time with the WATC, it is amazing to think she arranged Perth visits by Arwon, Think Big, Piping Lane and Baghdad Note after they won Melbourne Cups.
Think Big went back to Bart Cummings' Victorian stable and won a historic second Melbourne Cup after his Ascot campaign.
Marjorie convinced connections of Mighty Kingdom and Taksan to race them in Perth after Caulfield Cup victories.
Kingston Town led the Cox Plate winners who competed at Ascot carnivals. Battle Heights followed his 1974 Cox Plate triumph with a Perth campaign.
Family Of Man competed in WA before and after a 1977 Cox Plate victory. Dulcify sensationally won the Cox Plate by seven lengths following a Perth visit.
The Colin Hayes-trained Dulcify was among 10 Victoria Derby winners who travelled to Perth between 1972 and 1983. It was an amazing feat to attract them all to WA after Melbourne spring carnivals.
With Marjorie steering WATC public relations, the VRC Derby winners who raced here were Dayana, Haymaker, Galena Boy, Unaware, Stormy Rex, Dulcify, Sovereign Red, Brewery Boy, Grosvenor and Bounty Hawk.
At that time, Randwick's AJC Derby was also run in spring. Battle Sign, Taras Bulba and Imagele came to Perth after winning AJC Derbies from 1973 to 1975.
"Taras Bulba was the rising star of Australian racing at the time of his visit here," Marjorie said. "Imagine his trainer George Hanlon's alarm when the horse broke away from his handler while wading near Fremantle and swam straight out to sea.
"He had gone a long way out before stable staff caught up to him in a boat, and he was headed back to shore."
The Bart Cumming-trained Dayana was Ascot's first carnival star after Marjorie began arranging Perth trips for gallopers.
Dayana won the WA Derby, Australian Derby and Perth Cup.
Other visiting WATC Australian Derby winners during Marjorie's time with the club were Leica Lover, Haymaker, Denise's Joy, Family Of Man, Show Ego, Kankama, Lloyd's Gold, Sovereign Red, Venus And Mars and Bounty Hawk.
Asgard and Bottled Sunshine, both ridden by Danny Miller, won WA Derbies for Cummings in 1973 and 1974. Other raiders who became WA Derby winners in the next nine years were Chasta Bellota, Stormy Rex, Mighty Kingdom, Seltrice and Old Currency.
The Railway Stakes was captured by invaders Sarsha's Choice, Iko and Getting Closer from 1978 to 1983.
My Friend Paul (1974), Romantic Dream (1977) and Soldier Of Fortune (1981) won the Winterbottom Stakes for visiting trainers while Marjorie navigated WATC public relations.
Runyon (1975), Philomel (1976) and Bianco Lady (1983) were other Perth Cup winners who travelled from interstate under arrangements completed by Marjorie.
"I'd like to think my racing industry work would encourage other woman in business endeavours," Marjorie said.
"The horse is my first love in racing, but I always thought it was important to ensure race days had big attendances.
"I aimed to create what could be titled a 'Theatre Of The Horse.'
Marjorie, who moved to WA in 1965, was appointed by Harry Bolton in 1967 to be the WATC public relations officer.
At the time, Marjorie was running her own television documentary film company. She had made 10 WA documentaries, including features on the booming North-West mining industry, for international viewing. Prints of her documentaries are kept in Canberra's National Film Library Archives.
WATC committeeman the late Alan Scahill heard Marjorie in conversation at a WA Hunt Club function, saying how she thought Ascot and Belmont Park race day promotions could be improved.
Harry Bolton, after speaking with Alan Scahill, telephoned Marjorie and offered her the WATC PR role.
Promotion of a newly built Belmont Park grandstand, which opened two weeks after Marjorie's appointment, was her first WATC project.
Within months, Perth race meeting attendances had trebled.
"I arranged for visiting actors and international stars of Perth theatre shows to appear at race meetings," Marjorie said. "Celebrities such as Spike Milligan, John Farnham, Harry Secombe, Loretta Swit and Gina Lollobrigida were big news when they presented race trophies at Ascot and Belmont.
"Princess Margaret, Prime Ministers and Miss Australia winners were among race day Guests of Honour.
"There were also pipe bands and marching girls.
"We introduced race day fashion contests and parades in 1968. I took winners onwards to compete in fashion parades at Melbourne spring carnivals. We got a lot of media coverage and recognition for WA racing.
"Some of our winners were Liz Davenport, who later famously went into fashion design, Fran Smithson, Tricia Gouldson, Noreen Nixon and Stephanie Quinlan.
"Fashion contests were a major attraction at Perth's spring and Easter carnivals.
"Horses were the main players, but we had glamour supporting casts."
Other raceday attractions promoted by Marjorie included Powder Puff Derbies (races restricted to amateur women riders) and showjumping. She ensured there was old-time tradition and ceremony, involving horse drawn carriages, when Governors arrived on big race days and presented major trophies.
Marjorie initiated the Challenge Stakes in 1969 and Bart Cummings tackled the race with his first Perth starter.
In 1970, Marjorie organised an Ascot morning race meeting, which was completed by early afternoon, allowing patrons to attend Perth's first Test Cricket Match.
For more than 20 years, Marjorie arranged stallion parades at race meetings. She provided lively and informative commentaries.
"I feel we also made a positive contribution to the WA breeding industry when arranging in the early 1970s for Perth Yearling Sales to be transferred from Claremont Showground to Belmont Park racecourse," Marjorie said. "Mr Bolton did not hesitate when I suggested that we should arrange for yearling sales to be held at Belmont."
Marjorie's interest in horses developed when riding a pony during childhood. She was raised on her parents' farm at Gore, on New Zealand's South Island.
High marks in English and History were achieved by Marjorie at school. In the early 1950s, it seemed she would join a New Zealand theatre company as an actress.
However, she ventured to Melbourne and entered public relations. Marjorie was one of the first television commercial writers and producers in Australia. As well, she appeared in television commercials.
Marjorie took on roles such as the National Education Officer for the Plastics Institute Of Australia before moving to Perth.
Arriving in Perth during 1965, Marjorie established Artel Productions. She wrote, directed and produced television commercials and documentary films. She also handled publicity for Federation Cup Tennis, Rugby Union, the SEC and other high profile clients.
The rugby drew record crowds while Marjorie was overseeing its publicity in Melbourne and Perth.
Then her famed career chapters in racing's golden era unfolded.
Marjorie followed her memorable WATC stint by managing syndication of racehorses, then was the York Jockey Club promotions officer for more than four years from 1988.
The Rose Of York, launched by Marjorie as a WA Oaks lead-up race, is still run at York.
A letter written by a former York Jockey Club official was among congratulatory correspondence received by Marjorie after announcement of the Charleson Classic.
He described Marjorie as the "Saviour Of York Racing".
Proudly displayed in Marjorie's home is a letter from the Queen, written in 2003. This was recognition of a Centenary Medal, presented for Marjorie's services to the WA thoroughbred racing and breeding industries, and the community.
From 1993, Marjorie had been writing for the Racing West publication. She bought the magazine title in 1998 and re-named it Racebreed.
Marjorie, who won a Belmont Small Business Award for her marketing, tourism promotion and work on Racebreed, maintained the high standard publication, with national and overseas distribution, until illness slowed her a few years ago.
The Racebreed Award, sponsored by Marjorie to promote WA racing industry enterprise, has been presented at Belmont Small Business's annual award nights since 2009.
Marjorie was inducted into the Belmont Small Business's Hall Of Fame in 2012.
"I'm so appreciative of racing industry's immense support during my illness," Marjorie said. "This has been a great help towards my recovery."
The highly popular and much respected Marjorie Charleson may have settled off the pace these days, but her spirited determination and friendly nature are always present.
Marjorie said she was highly grateful for naming of the Marjorie Charleson Classic and considered this a treasured honour.
"But I believe the classic is an acknowledgement of overall promotional work in the industry, not just my contribution," Marjorie said. "My wish is that it will encourage the next generation to become more involved in racing promotion."
