A chapter of Western Australian racing history has sadly ended with popular trainer Vernon Brockman calling time on his decorated career, announcing his retirement at the age of 84.
A widely respected member of the WA racing community, Brockman saddled his final starter at Bunbury in February and celebrated his closing win with Toropa at Belmont last September.
Affectionately known as Brocky or the Earl Of Vasse, Brockman rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous of world racing but never lost the common touch and feel for grassroots racing.
Brockman, who rocketed to the top as Perth’s champion trainer in 1980, retires with a record of nearly 600 winners with Alpine Wind and Old Fashion responsible for his biggest success after taking out the prestigious Railway Stakes in 1977 and 2002 respectively.
Brockman’s historical link to local racing goes back to 1836 when his great, great, great grandfather William Locke Brockman won the first thoroughbred race held in WA with a horse called Margeaux.
Brockman, who cut his teeth with horses as a champion show jumper, said it was the right time to step away from a sport and way of life that has consumed him for the best part of six decades.
“I’ve just made the decision,” Brockman said to Racing WA.
“I’ve been training for sixty years and I’m slowing down.
“My family have been onto to me to retire for the last few years.
“It’s hard to get good staff and I’ve basically had enough.
“I only had three horses in work and I’ve given them to Stephen Miller.
“I’ve still maintained a small share in a couple of them.
“It takes me an hour to do what I used to do in 20 minutes.
“It had to come to an end at some stage.
“You can’t keep going forever and it’s a young man’s game.
“It’s not an easy industry, it’s full on.
“But I’ve had a lot of good owners and won three races for Robert Sangster.
“It’s time to go and I’m not sad about leaving.”
Before turning his hand to training, Brockman had a keen and astute eye for horseflesh.
The first horse he bought with good mate, Bill Slater, cost $1200 and led to his association with Alpine Wind.
The yearling he purchased in Adelaide was Chez Felix, who won the WA Derby and was trained by Brockman’s father, Julius.
Spurred on by the Derby success, Brockman purchased more horses and outlaid $4,500 for Alpine Wind, raced by Vern Walsh, father of Amelia Park boss, Peter Walsh.
Brockman said it’s hard to go past Alpine Wind as the best horse he’s trained, as it was early into his training career, but says Junction Girl also holds fond memories.
“She got beaten by a nose in the Goodwood in Adelaide,” Brockman said.
“In those days I used to have a bet, $30,000 to $600 I had on.
“She got beaten by a nose. I remember that because it didn’t come off.”
Brockman’s time in racing afforded him the opportunity of travelling and visiting some of the best racing destinations in the world.
Kentucky and Saratoga in the United States, Longchamp in France and Royal Ascot in England, where a slice of aussie bravado earned his moniker of the Earl of Vasse.
Attired in top hat and tails, Brockman realised tickets he held wouldn’t allow him to enter the members area, so he sidled up to the gate attendant and announced he was the Earl of Vasse and much to his surprise he was allowed in.
Brockman was certainly no earl, but had links to Vasse, albeit in Busselton.
Time waits for no man and all good things eventually come to an end, but Brockman has left a legacy and can be assured he departs an industry much loved, admired and respected.
Julio Santarelli