Brent has been right hand man to Gil (80) in recent years.
They have had good success with Vi Et Animo and Chesterton. They won 15 races, including the 2011 Four and Five-Year-Old Championship at Forbury Park, 2010 Invercargill Cup and Wyndham Cup with Vi Et Animo.
Chesterton won the 2006 Country Cups Final at Ascot Park. Gil trained and drove Lady Nelson to win the Invercargill Cup in 1959.
The Shirley stable developed Major Deed, who has won his two starts in the past week from the stable of Nathan Williamson. The 3yr-old had a stable transfer after a change of ownership.
Gil trained and drove Hindu to win the opening race on the card at the inaugural night meeting of the Forbury Park Trotting Club in January, 1961.
He began his association with harness racing in the 1950s and had his first win as an owner at Gore in December, 1953 with the trotter White Wings. He won seven races with Glenda Hanover in the 1960s. She won over two miles (3200m) as a 3yr-old in 4.28 on the grass track at Winton in 1967.
Gil also operated the Ascot Stud at Invercargill with Graham Thomas. The stud stood Majestic Chance, the leading New Zealand standardbred stallion in the 1981-82 season. The stud also stood thoroughbred Whistling Willie, the sire of well-performed Stormy Seas and Judge Obadiah.
• Kotare Yaakov, winner of three of his four starts last season and five from 16, is now trained by Robert Dunn at Woodend Beach. Kotare Yaakov, who has not raced since September, was previously with Mark Purdon and Grant Payne.
• Talaspring will be in the care of West Melton owner Lew Driver for the New Zealand Trotting Cup preparation. The Badlands Hanover mare has won 11 races, all from the mobile gate and $145,000 in stakes in Australia since she was exported in January, 2011. She had her first win at Washdyke when trained by the late Doug Mangos. She won four races from the Pukekohe stable of Brent Mangos.
Caribbean Blaster and Mustang Mach are Australian trained pacers entered for the New Zealand Trotting Cup in November.
Caribbean Blaster won the 4yr-old section of the Australasian Breeders Crown this month. Mustang Mach won the New Zealand Messenger in May.
Trainer Mark Purdon has Auckland Reactor, Sushi Sushi, Fly Like An Eagle, Highview Tommy, Sleepy Tripp and Major Mark entered for the Cup.
• Nominations for the New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington on November 13.
NZ Trotting Cup, $600,000, free-for-all, 3200m: (entrants with handicap wins):
5 wins: Magical Mel, River Black, Statesman, Supremacy, Easy On The Eye.
6: Fly Like An Eagle, Flyover, Ten Diamonds.
7: Aslan, Excuse Maker, Jarcullembra, Five Star Anvil, Mister Presley, Motu Speedy Star, Ohoka Texas, Pure Power.
8: Devil Dodger, Mach Banner, Mah Sish, Major Mark, Sleepy Tripp, Zenola Seelster.
9: Artiface, Choise Achiever, Franco Ledger, Gold Ace, Rangataua Ray.
10: Franco Emirate, Terror To Love.
11: Mustang Mach.
12: Donegal Delight, Highview Tommy.
13: Caribbean Blaster, Pembrook Benny, Stunin Cullen, Sushi Sushi.
14: Talaspring.
15: Sir Lincoln.
27: Auckland Reactor.
36: Monkey King.
