Record holder for the most wins in Singapore, Laurie Laxon has died at home in New Zealand.
Melbourne Cup winning trainer Laurie Laxon has died.
Laxon, who was also a member of the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame, died in his sleep at home in New Zealand, aged 75.
Empire Rose won the Melbourne Cup in 1988 while Laxon was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.
Besides the Melbourne Cup and other big wins in both Australia and New Zealand, Laxon also trained Romanee Conti to win the Hong Kong International Cup in 1993.
Romanee Conti later became the dam of Ethereal who provided Laxon’s wife Sheila the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double in 2001.
Laxon moved to Singapore in 2000 and became the first trainer to top the 100-win mark, in 2004, and the first to reach 1000 winners.
He retired from Singapore in 2017 with more than 1250 winners to his name.
Shane Ellis, assistant-trainer to Laxon for eight-and-a-half years, remembered him for his easy-going nature and skills as a horseman.
“We only had two blow-ups in the time I was with him and we got over them pretty quick,” Ellis said.
“We had a lot of success together, but it wasn’t only our horses that he was good with he would help anyone who needed a hand.”
Ellis said he spoke to Laxon last weekend and said he was in good spirits, adding it was a sad day.
Former Singapore-based trainer Cliff Brown, who returned to Australia earlier this year, has fond memories of his time based at Kranji.
He remembers Laxon showing him around Kranji when he first arrived.
“He’s was first and foremost a character,” Brown said.
“When I first got there, he was a really good guide and would do anything to help anyone.
“He was an interesting person, a great character, but if you have a problem with a horse, he’d help you.
“His knowledge was incredible.”
