Casey councillor Amanda Stapledon and Cranbourne horse trainer Mick Kent, with 2011 Hollywood Cup winner Unusual Suspect, are thrilled that two local roads have been named after two local racingidentities. 69330
By Bridget Cook
THE City of Casey and a group of Cranbourne residents have paid a fitting tribute to “two of the greatest local racing identities”.
At last week’s Casey council meeting, councillors agreed to support an idea put forward by local horse trainer Larry Childs to rename two roads in Cranbourne’s equine precinct after Laurie Cleary and Cyril Beechey.
The southern section of Stevensons Road will now be known as Cyril Beechey Lane and the southern end of Cemetery Road will be changed to Laurie Cleary Lane.
Both of these roads have been terminated, are no longer continuous and have been formally closed to through traffic.
The council said if the two resulting sections of each road continued to have the same names, confusion would result for addressing mail, visitors and emergency services.
Cranbourne horse trainer Mick Kent, who has stables on Laurie Cleary Lane and knew both men personally, said the renaming was a win for two reasons.
“It will now be much easier for people to find us,” he said.
“We were cut off previously.
“Also being out the back of the racecourse, it’s a fitting tribute to name the roads after two of the greatest racing characters in Cranbourne.
“The roads are in the Cranbourne horse precinct and these two names are synonymous with racing in the area.
“All the residents are very pleased.”
Mr Cleary, who was born in 1916, moved to Cranbourne in the 1970s where he started training racehorses at the local race course.
His passion was in jumps racing and he went on to win the Australian Steeple with Waltzing Hall.
His biggest win was the Oakleigh Plate in 1983 with Sans Rival, who he bred out of his top race mare Riviera Sans. The horse was owned by Mr Cleary himself and his family.
Mr Cleary died on Christmas Day in 2009.
Mr Kent said Mr Cleary was one of the most popular identities in the Cranbourne racing scene.
“He mentored lots of kids who, for various reasons, were going through hard times and got them involved in the industry,” Mr Kent said.
“Consequently there are still dozens of people in the area who would owe their interest in horses to Laurie.”
Mr Beechey was also another accomplished Cranbourne racing identity.
Born in 1911, he served in the RAF in New Guinea in his early years.
After his service career he returned to Australia and worked in the Ashton’s Circus where his love for animals began.
He moved to Cranbourne in 1965 and that’s when he started training racehorses.
He had a long and flourishing career in the industry, winning two Caulfield Cups with Gay Icarus and Analight, a Newmarket Handicap with Coolalinga, Doomben 10,000 with Between Ourselves and the Cranbourne Cup with Latin Rule.
“He was the most successful trainer to train his horses out of Cranbourne,” Mr Kent said.
City of Casey councillor Amanda Stapledon said the renaming of the two roads was a great idea.
“It is great to the see the two roads in Cranbourne’s equine precinct named after two people who contributed significantly to the local and wider equestrian community,” Cr Stapledon said.
