27 April 2020
You don’t drive more than 6300 winners of more than $50million in stakes without being a skilled craftsman.
Victorian-based Gavin Lang, who died last Friday, aged 61, after a six-month battle with a rare form of lymphoma, was considered the driver’s driver, often used as the benchmark when comparisons about greatness were made.
Quietly-spoken, rarely saying two words when one would do, the deep-thinking man known fondly as ‘The Iceman’ preferred to let his driving do the talking for him.
Virtually ‘born’ in the sulky, Lang was a son of former dairy farmer, Graeme Lang, in his own right an accomplished former trainer and driver, now facing battles of his own as an octogenarian after a recent stroke.
Gavin, who started driving as a 16-year-old - his first winner was Pensive Dream at Kilmore on June 2 1975 - exuded star quality from the very beginning; his one-of-a-kind ability only improved with each passing year.
As well as preparing a team of his own, off-and-on, over the years, Lang was an instinctive, natural ‘gun for hire’ reinsman for trainers seeking the best - and he delivered in spades, especially in feature events throughout Australia and New Zealand.
More comfortable encouraging horses with his hands than with the whip, Lang made driving look easy, and never seemed flustered.
The list of ‘Group One Gav’s’ highlight winners in the sulky included his own stable star Persistency, of course, as a much younger man, the brilliant trotter True Roman and, more recently, Sumthingaboutmaori.
On behalf of the harness racing industry HRNSW expresses sincere condolences to Gavin’s Meagan, daughters Courtney and Danielle, his father Graeme, brother Chris, their extended families and his legion of friends.