Les Bridge has done more than most in racing.
He’s won a Golden Slipper, a Melbourne Cup, an Everest with Classique Legend and earlier this month he was officially inducted into the Australian Racing Hall Of Fame.
Family, horses and his beloved South Sydney Rabbitohs have been the popular trainer’s life and thanks to a gelding named Lennon, all three have finally converged.
Lennon will line up in the Wilson Asset Management Handicap (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday and is the first horse owned in partnership by Bridge’s adult children, daughter Lesley and son Jason.
The three-year-old will carry the trainer’s famous red and green colours, a nod to Bridge’s rugby league allegiances and silks the octogenarian hopes will stay in the family when he is gone.
As a little extra incentive, he says Lennon is the first of three horses the family will race and all will be named after Bridge’s grandchildren.
“I’m getting on a bit and I’m trying to keep them interested in racing,” Bridge said.
“I want to keep the colours going, the old South Sydney colours.
“Jason’s son is called Lennon and I named it after him. Lesley’s boy is called Josh and I bought a colt at the last sale and I called it Josh, and I think we’ve got the name.
“(Jason’s) also got a little girl, Frankie and I’m going to buy a filly and call it Frankie so they will all have one each named after them, the grandkids.”
Bridge bought Lennon at Scone from the same sales yard that produced his outstanding racemare Hot Danish and picked up the son of Shamus Award for $26,000.
It is small change compared to the millions being splashed around elsewhere and Bridge says the fact the horse was sold without x-rays was a major factor in price.
But having studied horses long before x-rays were a thing, he was unperturbed.
“I loved his pedigree, he is out of an English family, and I liked the horse,” Bridge said.
“There were no x-rays, that’s why he was so cheap. A lot of trainers won’t buy them without x-rays.
“I bought another one at the last sale up here the same way, a Stratum Star colt that I liked.
“I’ve got a good idea. I’ve bought horses for 60 years on pedigrees before they did (x-rays).”
Lennon has been to the races four times for two wins, including a decision over subsequent Hawkesbury Guineas winner Exoboom in the summer.
He was accepted for the Inglis Guineas but was scratched due to a wide draw and while Bridge would ideally have liked a slightly longer assignment on Saturday, he is certain the horse will be competitive.
“If it was 1400, I’d be really confident,” Bridge said.
“He’s got to get a bit of racing into him, the horse, but I think he will run well just the same.
“He’s a lovely horse. I think eventually, he will be a horse that will run over 2000 down the track. He’s by a Cox Plate winner and he’s very well bred.”
In another boost for the trainer, Classique Legend has arrived safely in New Zealand from Hong Kong and will serve a quarantine period before returning to Bridge’s Randwick yard on June 11.
