Racing: Cardinal Garrison's driver dies

One of the great harness drivers of another era, Tom Knowles, died last week.

Tom, or Tommy as he was known to most, was one of the more astute reinsmen of his time and was best known as the driver of Captain Harcourt and Cardinal Garrison.

However, his career in the racing industry actually started out in the saddle as a jockey in Palmerston North.

"He was the leading apprentice in the Central Districts one season and second best in the country behind Grenville Hughes," said Tom's son Paul, a former JCA member and stipendiary steward.

"But then he got a bit too heavy for that so rode over the jumps."

While he rode his share of winners he got an offer he couldn't refuse from great trotting man Don Hayes to move north and help out in the harness industry.

"That was in the early 1960s and we moved to Huapai," said Paul.

Tommy drove his first winner not long after when he piloted Revisal, trained by Jack Bassett.

In 1968, he drove Cardinal Garrison, his first really good horse who won him a NSW Derby and an Auckland Cup.

He repeated the Auckland Cup double with Captain Harcourt in 1975, who also won an Easter Cup.

If the sign of a good driver is one who can save the most energy in strength-sapping races, it is worth noting that the two Auckland Cups that Knowles drove the winners of were at the time the fastest two 3200m Auckland Cups ever run until 1987.

Knowles trained small teams, never more than 10-15, but driving was his love.

"Like a lot of guys he had to train to make ends meet but driving was definitely his preference," says Paul.

Tommy Knowles was 80 when he died, after a year troubled by heart disease, on November 17.

He is survived by his wife Jean, twin daughters Raewyn and Lynette, and son Paul.