Image courtesy Steve Hart Photographics - Snippets and Peter Cook led by Mike Willesee.
Ever alert photographer Steve Hart captured Mike Willesee at Randwick at the height of the TV icon’s involvement in thoroughbred ownership and breeding.
Top photo shows Mike and Carol Willesee on a wet day at Randwick in 1988 leading Snippets back to scale after The Galaxy. Rider is Peter Cook who won five races on the classy sprinter, including three Group 1’s.
Willesee’s Transmedia Park Stud bought into Snippets after the brilliant colt’s two year old campaign, in which he won the inaugural Magic Millions.
Bottom photo shows Mike, trainer Les Bridge and jockey Mark De Montfort before Let’s Get Physical won the San Domenico Stakes, run at Warwick Farm in 1985. In the background is the respected trainer, the late Max Lees.
Let’s Get Physical was purchased for $1 million by Transmedia Park Stud, after a brilliant Victorian two year old campaign, in which he won the Blue Diamond for Robert Smerdon and jockey Gary Murphy.
Willesee purchased his Cootamundra stud farm from expatriate American Ferd Calvin in the early eighties and embarked on a major upgrade. In 1993 he sold it on to Jack and Bob Ingham and it became part of their famous Woodlands network of properties.
With Mike Willesee’s passing last week at age 76, Australian television lost a legend and Australian racing lost a true friend.
Image courtesy Steve Hart Photographics - Les Bridge, Mark De Montfort and Mike Willesee.