FITTING FAREWELL TO A LEGEND OF BLOODSTOCK LES YOUNG

FITTING FAREWELL TO A LEGEND OF BLOODSTOCK LES YOUNG

Something more than just an absent committee member was missing from December’s Thoroughbred Breeders’ NSW committee meeting. Article | C Searcy

Les Young 1943-2019

The 80’s team

There was a void, an ‘eery’ feeling that something substantial was awry, which of course it was given the recent passing of thoroughbred breeding stalwart, Les Young. A large hole was left in the hearts and minds of all attending the meeting and the Association’s AGM, with the long-time committee member and former executive officer having succumbed to a longstanding illness but a surprisingly sudden demise in mid-November. Les sadly left behind no blood relatives, but as Peter Graham, the celebrant at his funeral pointed out, he is well-remembered by the extended ‘family’ of the thoroughbred breeding, racing and media worlds. Les Young’s deeds in Australian thoroughbred breeding have been well documented (see Brian Russell’s excellent ‘Bluebloods’ article from 2017 http://www.tbnsw. com.au/news/les-young-racedoutside-his-pedigree ) and to this day horses he either bought or provided mating plans for continue to provide winners at the highest level. AJC Oaks winner Circles of Gold, bought by Les for prominent owner Frank Tagg not only threw international Group 1 winners Elvstroem and Haradasun, but even this spring featured as the third dam of the Toorak Handicap winner Cape Of Good Hope. And only a few years ago Cape Of Good Hope’s fullbrother, the six-time Group 1 winner Highland Reel was runner up to the great Winx in the 2015 WS Cox Plate. For only $41,000 in 1979 in Adelaide, Les and business partner Bob Lapointe bought five yearlings all of

whom won races, including the triple Oaks winning filly November Rain. In that group was another filly Easy Date, who Les put to sprint sire Lunchtime to produce the champion sprinter and hugely influential stallion Snippets. Easy Date then found further fame as the granddam of Arrowfield Stud stallion Not A Single Doubt, sire this year alone of Group 1 winners’ Scales Of Justice, Samadoubt, Kenedna and Qafila plus recent Villiers Stakes winner (G2) Quackerjack. His famous purchase of champion filly, the feisty grey Emancipation, also shaped subsequent generations with her descendants including Group 2 winning son Royal Pardon plus descendants such as Caulfield Cup winner Railings, dual Group 1 winning filly Virage De Fortune, six-time stakes-winner Avenue, Group 2 winner Magneto, Slapstick, Glasnost and UAE Oaks winner Raihana. Les was an unassuming, quiet man who didn’t let on too much about himself. He was married to Wendy who passed away in the early 2000’s and recently had a beautiful partner Hilma Else who was closest to him in his final days. His office manager Marjorie Manns had been with him over three decades and those who had done business with Les in the past such as Muskoka Farm’s Bob Lapointe and more recently, Andrew Reichard of Bluebloods magazine all contributed at Les’s funeral to pull together a better idea of the 75 year olds’ lifelong influence on racing and breeding, particularly in his beloved New South Wales.

Les Young TBNSW Life Membership

Les’s funeral at Royal Randwick Racecourse was a fitting send off for a private man whose lifetime of work many people only really learnt about with his passing. The moving, yet informative service was attended by many industry participants, journalists Ray Thomas, Max Presnell, Andrew and Margaret Reichard, ATC board-member Julia Ritchie, fellow bloodstock agent Duncan Ramage, Jonathan D’Arcy from Inglis, TBNSW directors Peter Orton, Hamish Esplin and Caroline Searcy, executive officer Julianne Christopher and past presidents John Muir, Trevor Lobb and Tom Kelly. President of NSW Racehorse Owners’ Association Jane Henning was there, the son of another business partner Bob Logan, Richard paid his respects as did the trainer of the great Emancipation Neville Begg and his daughter, successful bloodstock agent Carmel Size. Emancipation’s jockey, now a trainer, Ron Quinton was joined by Biddy Oquist, the TBA’s James Peters, Turangga Farm’s Stuart Ramsey, members of Hawkesbury’s Australian Thoroughbred Breeders’ Club and fittingly Annie from the ATC who looked after Les’s feed requirements in the Randwick press room for years! Bob Lapointe, the businessman who set up Les’s company Doncaster Bloodstock remembered Les as a “group 1 winner, a journalist, unassuming, understated, a gentleman, pedigree expert, conservative and a really good bloke.” Bob spoke of their trips overseas together and their incredible success in buying, breeding and trading some of the best throughbreds of the time culminating in the Nebo Lodge assault on the Sydney Trainers’ Premiership where the syndicate managed by Les with trainer Brian Mayfield Smith ended the great TJ Smith’s three-decade reign at the top. Bluebloods’ Andrew Reichard recounted what a joy it was to have Les’s contributions to his magazine for over 30 years, “among his many talents, Les Young was an outstanding journalist, his contributions to Bluebloods over a 30 year period included “Behind The Names”,

“Pedigree Spotlight” and “Value Broodmare Sires”. His articles were always well researched and mistake free, word perfect, letter perfect, a pleasure to receive.” “Les Young achieved success at the highest level as a breeder, an owner, pedigree analyst, bloodstock consultant, racing administrator and journalist. Yet he always found time to encourage small breeders, whether hobbyists or owners of a single mare. He gave freely of his vast store of knowledge to participants at all levels of the industry.” “He was fortunate to have spent his entire working life doing something he loved. We may never see his like again, he will be greatly missed.” Dr Clive Allcock a Sydney psychiatrist specialising in gambling problems and a great friend to Les, fondly recounted Les’s regular success as a ‘place’ punter, usually coming out ahead over weeks and months of betting largely based on the breeding background of the horses he picked! Finally, Les’s partner in his latter years, Hilma Else brightened the room with her obvious affection for Les and a mischievous sparkle in her eye remembering how they had made each other laugh, with the warm memories only tempered by a rogue, escapee tear. The loss of Les Young leaves a big hole in the membership and committee of Thoroughbred Breeders’ NSW having been on the board since 2006 and executive officer from 2010 until just this year. Les may not have said much but when he spoke people listened and that gravitas, experience and sensibility will be very sadly missed by us all. Les really was one of a kind.

Les Young with Vern Rayner