Preston was also a long-time and highly-respected bloodstock agent and it is his contribution to the industry in that role that has earned him a unique honour.
He was recently made the first ever Life Member of the New Zealand Bloodstock Agents’ Federation and while chatting to TDN AusNZ about his career, the 87-year-old spoke fondly of an experience that makes him a true living treasure.
While it can’t be verified with absolute certainty, it’s a fair bet that he is the only person alive on the planet to have handled the famed stallion Hyperion (GB), an English Derby winner and six-time champion sire.
He was also runner-up four times and a three-time champion broodmare sire. He produced more than 60 stakes winners and an achievement put into perspective by the fact that in his heyday a book of around 40 mares was the common practice.
Hyperion was bred by his owner Lord Derby and was a diminutive horse, standing at just 15.1h when fully mature. He was trained by George Lambton and won three times as a 2-year-old and was unbeaten at three.
He retired to Lord Derby’s Woodland Stud in 1935, where he stood for 25 years and during that time Preston worked at the stud with the mighty Hyperion.
Hyperion (GB)
“My dad (Ted) was pretty good mates with Mr JG Alexander, who ran Cranleigh Stud here, and he jacked it all up for me to go to Woodland at Newmarket,” he said.
“Colonel Scrope was Lord Derby’s manager and I worked under a bloke called Mick Ryan. There was another side of the stud further over, Woodland which was on the nearest side to the Newmarket township.
“Further over on the estate was another branch that had two stallions there, Fair Copy and Borealis.
“I believe that I am probably the only fellow around now to have handled Hyperion. I went to Lord Derby’s stud when I was a kid, I was 18 at the time.
“I believe that I am probably the only fellow around now to have handled Hyperion.” – Mick Preston
“He was a wonderful little horse and there were three stallions there – Hyperion, Alycidon and Watling Street who was a war-time Derby winner. He was a tough bastard and would try to savage you.
“Hyperion was a great-natured little bloke and never did anything wrong, he’d never try to nip you or anything. He was 22 at the time I was there if I remember rightly and he served 22 mares that year. In those days, the biggest book they ever took to a stallion was 45.
“He was such a little horse that they had a pit dug to stand the mare in so he didn’t have to try and get up so high. I was very honoured to be given the job of leading him around. "
Mick Preston
Great education
“I also went to a lot of other studs with walk-in mares to the likes of Precipitation. I remember he had a handler on each side of him to stop him attacking them, I got the shock of my life when he came out to serve a mare.
“It was a great education to see how other studs worked and served mares. I used to sleep on the camp stretcher in the foaling barn when it was my night on with foaling duties.
“It was a great education to see how other studs worked and served mares.” – Mick Preston
“You had to do it and in those days, we’d be up all night and then have an hour or so off and then work through the days again.”
Also part of Preston’s duties was leading the teaser around the mares, which routinely took two hours but he quickly found a more efficient way.
“I led him a couple of times and then I said to Mick Ryan 'has this bloke ever been broken in, why can’t I ride him',” he said.
“Colonel Scrope had a very good horse there called High Stakes, he was by Hyperion and he had won 24 races. He was at the stable where I was so I got his saddle and bridle and jumped on the teaser.
“They thought it was bloody great because I was getting around the mares in half the time, they are great memories.”
After returning from England, Preston was involved with the family’s West Derby Stud at Levin where the successful Knight’s Romance (Ire) (Royal Charger {GB}) stood and he [Mick] later enjoyed training success, most notably with Imaprince (NZ) (Heir Apparent {USA}), winner of the Wellington Cup and the New Zealand St Leger, both then Group 1 races, and runner-up in the G1 Sydney Cup.
Preston also enjoyed a lengthy career as a bloodstock agent and was pleasantly taken aback by his latest acknowledgment of his involvement in that role.
“I am very proud and honoured – I didn’t even know they had Life Members to be honest,” he said. “I’m retired now and haven’t sold anything for a couple of years, but if anything came up I would.”
Worldwide market
Preston sold horses with success to all parts of the racing world.
“I’ve sold them all over the place, to America mostly but I also sold 160 horses to a fellow called Stephen Leung over a period of six or seven years,” he said. “He was in Macau and a lot of those horses went to Hong Kong.
“I sold quite a few horses to England a good while ago as well, but it was mainly into America, Macau and Hong Kong.”
Now resident in Taupo, Preston is also the co-breeder and part-owner of True Enough (NZ) (Nom Du Jeu {NZ}), the winner of nine races including last season’s G1 Zabeel Classic.
“I started racing horses nearly 70 years ago and I don’t think there were any years I didn’t race a horse,” he said. “This is the best one I’ve ever owned, without a doubt.
“They don’t come along very often and when you get a good horse you’ve got to look after it. To me, it’s like a kid, one of your own, and it’s your responsibility to make sure they have the best of everything.”
