Doug Mangos, who drove major winners in the 1960s and 70s, died in Christchurch on Friday at the age of 76.
Douglas Mangos was employed at Roydon Lodge, Yaldhurst. The establishment was operated by Sir John and later Sir Roy McKenzie, with George Noble the trainer, during the time Mangos was there.
Mangos was licensed to drive at trials in 1954 and he was granted a probationary driver's licence two years later. He was an open horseman from the 1957-58 season when he drove Highland Air to win the Winter Handicap at Forbury Park.
He drove La Mignon to win the main race, the C F Mark Memorial Handicap and the Farewell Handicap on the second day of the Auckland winter meeting in 1958.
La Mignon became the dam of Roydon Roux, whom Mangos drove in her seven wins, including the New Zealand Golden Slipper Stakes at Waimate, Princess Stakes in Auckland and New Zealand Futurity Stakes at Rotorua, at two. She won the 1971 Great Northern Derby and the J L Raith Memorial in Sydney the following season, with Mangos the driver.
Mangos drove Scottish Laddie to win the 1963 Great Northern Derby. Scottish Laddie was trained at Trentham by Jack Hunter for Roy McKenzie.
Mangos drove General Frost to win the inaugural New Zealand Juvenile Championship in Auckland in 1968. The Noble-trained General Frost also won the Golden Slipper Stakes and the New Zealand Futurity Stakes with Mangos in the sulky.
He was granted a professional training licence in 1969 to prepare the Roydon Lodge horses in the absence of Noble. He drove Jay Ar in three wins in top company, the season after the gelding had dead-heated for first with Robin Dundee in the Interdominion Final at Forbury Park in 1965 with Noble in the sulky.
Brent Mangos, a son of Doug, is the Pukekohe trainer of Bettor Cover Lover, who won the group one Queen Of Hearts at Alexandra Park on December 16 after a life-threatening injury to a foot eight months earlier.
Doug Mangos had his last driving win with Initial Thought at Addington in July, 2004. He trained Talaspring to win at a Franklin meeting in March, 2010.
