GER KELLY, a former bloodstock agent and one of the founders of Turform, has died. He was 74.

A native of Suncroft, Co Kildare, he began his bloodstock career with the Curragh Bloodstock Agency based in Newbridge and was part of the team that included Peter McKeever, Johnny Harrington and Col Dick Warden.

He was one of the pioneers in the development of trading links between Ireland and the emerging Japanese bloodstock industry.

With the instant sire success in Japan of the Ann Biddle-bred and raced Partholon (Ebor Handicap and National Stakes) sons and daughters of Milesian were in high demand in the Far East and Ger established himself as a trusted representative of Ann Biddle, who stood Milesian at her Palmerstown Stud.

Among the other stallions he exported to Japan were Crowned Prince (champion two-year-old, Dewhurst Stakes winner), Hot Spark (Flying Childers winner), Tudenham (Middle Park winner) and Philip Of Spain (Middle Park runner-up).

He had a long association with Sir Mark Prescott that dated back to his purchase of leading National Hunt sire Mandalus (13 wins including the Diamond Jubilee Stakes) and also included his yearling purchase of Spindrifter (winner of 13 races as a two-year-old) and En Avant (12 wins, champion sprinter in South Africa). He was also associated with the purchase of leading South African sire Royal Prerogative.

Ger also acted as bloodstock advisor to Paddy Conlon and managed horses on behalf of clients who were in training with John Oxx, Liam Browne, Tony Redmond and Jimmy Feane.

A highly knowledgeable race reader and pedigree researcher, he also mentored the early careers of bloodstock agents Hubie de Burgh, Harry McCalmont, Anthony Stroud and John Walsh in the Curragh Bloodstock Agency.

Following the establishment of his own bloodstock agency, he negotiated the purchase of stallions Miami Springs and Corvaro to stand at Ardenode Stud.

Along with his brother Don Kelly he was the driving force in the establishment of the much acclaimed Irish Turform Annual and the daily Turform racecards.