Racing Legends Unite
Featured Image: Betty Shepherd and John Letts with the 2019 Melbourne Cup ‘on tour’ in Scone
Betty might have missed out with ‘Trevors’ in 1966 but she wasn’t about to let go of the Melbourne Cup for 2019 in a hurry on Thursday August 08 2019.
It was the annual promotional tour of the Melbourne Cup; a notable publicity triumph for the VRC each year. We had hosted the same event on Friday 15th October 2010 when I played my part as Councillor of the Upper Hunter Shire Council. Des Gleeson was the ambassador then and Amanda Elliott the VRC Committee representative; now Chairman/person.
John Letts was an ‘ideal’ ambassador and played the part to perfection. He won ‘the Cup’ on two occasions: Piping Lane in 1972 and Beldale Ball in 1980. His busy itinerary this year started out at Godolphin (Darley) Stud Aberdeen, Aberdeen Public School, Aberdeen Pre-School, White Park Scone, the Thoroughbred Hotel, Strathearn House and the Linga Longa Inn @ Gundy. What a journey; and what a fitting finale!
John Letts rode over 2,300 winners in a distinguished career and was ‘immortalized’ with his two victories in the Melbourne Cup. In 2019 locally bred ‘Vow and Declare’ triumphed at Flemington on the first Tuesday in November. Mick Malone and his cohort crew at Kitchwin Hills made it a night to remember at the Linga Longa in Gundy! The Cup came home!
John Letts figures (briefly) in video/film ‘A Race of Horses’ on this website.