Go to Villagebet.com.au for free horse racing tips - Click here now
Forum Home Forum Home > Horse Racing - Public Forums > Racing Forum
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Deane Lester
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login


Thoroughbred Village Home Page. For village news, follow @TBVillage on Twitter. For horseracing tips, follow @Villagebet on Twitter. To contact the Mayor by email: Click Here.


Deane Lester

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>
Author
Message
Gay3 View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group


Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Location: Miners Rest
Status: Offline
Points: 51818
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote Gay3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Deane Lester
    Posted: 21 Jun 2022 at 8:52pm
 I never knew why he's in a wheelchair, born with spina bifida explains all. What an incredible man Clap Thanks to LGHR.

PUNTERS FACE LITTLE WAIT FOR RETURN OF FAVORITE TIPSTER 

PUNTERS are really missing their favorite Victorian tipster Dean Lester and it might be the start of the Spring Carnival before he returns.

The respected form analyst has start rehab in Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital after undergoing serious back surgery.

“I’ve been battered around a bit but we’re still standing which might not have been the case a couple of weeks ago. It’s been a pretty tumultuous time,” Lester told RSN Central’s host Gareth Hall.

Lester required surgery due to the deteriorating condition of his vertebrae between the T8 and T9. “The disc between them was totally gone so what they did was virtually put metalwork above the T8 and went down below the T12 or T13 to support it,” Lester said.

RSN.com reports that the surgery, whilst successful, impacted Lester who was born with spina bifida and requires dialysis four times a week due to failing kidney function.

“It was a predicted four-hour surgery and as I’ve had it retold to me, as I went under sedation, I started to have a few bad reactions and it ended up taking nearly eight hours,” Lester said. Because of the length, not so much the surgery, but the post recovery went into a different phase and I was put in an induced coma for two and a half days.”

The strength of the medication given to Lester during the operation added days to his post-surgery recovery and he experienced forms of delusion in the wake of the surgery. “It took almost five days to become lucid,” Lester said. “It’s been a massive strain on my support crew and of course that is led by my partner Leanne, I’ve put her through a lot of grief and lent on her the hardest. She’s coped like an absolute trooper and the star that she is.”

Lester is optimistic he will return to provide followers with betting advice from the start of the upcoming Melbourne Spring Carnival, although his health remains a firm priority.

“We’ve got a bit of work to do but I’ll be looking after myself and really giving myself a fair crack over the next couple of months,” Lester said. “It’s a different challenge ahead but I’m in the best of care. There’s a good chance that when I get out of hospital that I’ll be stronger and in lot less pain than when I came in. I’ll be back for the spring. I’ll hopefully be a Group 1 performer on Memsie Stakes day.”

Punters are struggling to find a replacement tipster to follow on the Victorian races in the absence of Lester. Last Saturday’s meeting at Flemington was a classic example. His main rival, SKY’s leading man, David Gately, didn’t manage one winner in his top selections on the nine-race card. Mark Hunter, who stepped into the top chair at RSN, saved his best for last declaring Zac De Boss an E/W special but the rest of the day was a bit of a disaster.



Edited by Gay3 - 21 Jun 2022 at 9:26pm
Wisdom has been chasing me but I've always outrun it!
Back to Top
horlicks View Drop Down
Champion
Champion


Joined: 26 Feb 2010
Status: Offline
Points: 8373
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote horlicks Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jun 2022 at 10:53pm
Interview recording here (currently bottom of page)

Back to Top
spinner View Drop Down
Champion
Champion
Avatar

Joined: 27 Nov 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 1058
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote spinner Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2022 at 12:09pm
get well soon Dean. 
Back to Top
Shawy38 View Drop Down
Champion
Champion
Avatar

Joined: 13 Jun 2015
Status: Offline
Points: 17253
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Shawy38 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jun 2022 at 12:37pm
You couldn't meet a nicer bloke, met him at the races one day with Lindsey Smith. Get well soon Deano.
Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing
Back to Top
Gay3 View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group


Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Location: Miners Rest
Status: Offline
Points: 51818
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gay3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Aug 2022 at 11:57am
Deane Lester: Bed ridden for 14 months, "Deano's" inspiring story laid bare
Bruce Clarke

Deane Lester's Twitter handle is Defier1.

OK, no blue tick (doesn't need it or wouldn't want it), but some not too shabby 28,000 followers and yes it suits, and perhaps subtlety sums up Australia's most respected wagering investment adviser, or if you wanted to be cheap and a touch tacky, you could go with tipster.

But the much loved "Deano" is of course far more than just another racing media urger.

"Look at me" has never been part of the Lester persona and if you wanted to join a group that had a harsh word to say about him, first find one of those old telephone booths if you can, have your meeting and a good look at yourselves and then please lock the door (from the inside).

Like Lester, Defier, the Guy Walter-trained galloper of the early millennium, gave his best at the top level but was rarely in the spotlight. That was normally held by Lonhro, but Defier did win a George Main Stakes (beating Sunline), and a Doomben Cup at Group 1 level, was placed in two Cox Plates (behind Northerly and Fields of Omagh), but did have Lonhro's scalp in a then Group 2 Warwick Stakes.

Happy 67th Birthday @bmracingclub! ????

Famously called his own horse Fields of Omagh to multiple @CoxPlate victories! #Legendarypic.twitter.com/YFLdqZ3Yoy

— Moonee Valley Racing Club (@TheValley) April 7, 2017

"I don't know, Guy was just one of my favourite people in racing, a gentleman and I latched on to Defier and just loved him and his honesty. I suppose it suits me, I've been a ‘defier' over the years, especially the medicos," Lester said, from his rehab ward in a Caulfield hospital.

And by the way, if it wasn't to be Defier, Lester would have gone with Shaftesbury Avenue, pointing to his 1991 portfolio of Lightning Stakes and Newmarket Handicap wins to a Japan Cup placing.

But it was to some little pleasant surprise to hear that well measured, well known and humbly friendly voice, come out of the radio at RSN on Saturday morning as if he had never been away. But he has been and for a very good reason but even when he was away, he was still there and sometimes here.

Let me try and explain.

Lester has been off the airways since May 22. And with a good excuse note from his doctor – the not too trifling matter of a four-hour operation that turned into eight hours on his T8 and T9 vertebrae on an already troublesome spine saw to that and the pictures can give you some idea of the detail. That was June 7.

Lester is counting the days now to be finished with Rehab and finally getting to move into his new home at Botanic Ridge in Cranbourne with his partner Leanne. He quips it's close enough to his mate Robbie Griffiths and "Cuzzy Bro" Michael Walker, but also far enough away, if you know what I mean. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) finally approved their bathroom last week.

But this latest serious surgery followed another stint of health induced issues that could convince that he donate his body to science fiction, not science, when the judge puts his number in the frame.

Lester, such a familiar figure around the mounting yard at Melbourne metropolitan race meetings, quite remarkably hasn't been to the track since Jamie Kah scored her first Group 1 win on Harlem in the 2019 Australian Cup.

But you still heard him on Melbourne radio, or Channel 7 race day coverage or a regular stint in Perth media while his tipping service subscribers got their regular service every Saturday. Like he wasn't away.

And he did get a shout out from his prodigy jockey Jye McNeil, who he was instrumental in getting the ride and helping with instructions to win the 2020 Melbourne Cup on Twilight Payment.

#MelbourneCup winning jockey @JyeMcNeil explains the influence Gerald Egan and Deane Lester have had on his career, how he secured the ride on Twilight Payment and what's next on the agenda. #AfterTheLastpic.twitter.com/VxxQOj1n1n

— Racing.com (@Racing) November 4, 2020

It wasn't just Covid that had kept Lester away. For 14 months, from February 18, 2020, he knows the dates precisely, until Anzac Day last year, he was restricted to his bed but lying on his left side, supported only by a wall of pillows and a passion for his work. All because of a pressure sore.

And not just any pressure sore, obviously.

"I went in for a clean-up and a scrub which is fairly standard but saw in their faces that this was something worse, they found a 12cm hole in my thigh. My doctor was Andrew Fuller, the head of infectious diseases and he said we want to do this properly, the alternative is that you die."

The good news, there was some, is that Dr Fuller knew the pandemic would cause the lockdown and got Lester home to start his public hibernation while a round of nine surgeries was required to fill the wound with healthy tissue, or if you want your own research, google hyper granulation.

So, every word you heard from Lester over that period when you thought life was normal, was him confined to bed, unable to roll to his right side.

"It wasn't much fun, I had an air bed and a pile of pillows" says a matter of fact Lester, but typically without the hint of a "why me" or any navel gazing.

"But I was able to work, I had a hospital table set up for radio beside the bed, which probably kept me as sane as I could over that period of time. I remember Annie Kearney (Channel 10) interviewing me via zoom after the Cup because of what Jye had said, and we had to set the computer up in a certain why to make the shot work."

But he has needed the full media silence since May to recover from the recent spine surgery. It followed a diagnosis in December of further deterioration of his troubled spine, where the changes in the spine were detected and the pain experienced with it almost unbearable.

"I think we had 10 surgeons attack it. I had a series of tests in January and by early February I was in the Alfred for 10 days because there was a shadow on the spine, which made it difficult to target the problem originally."

Lester can thank Dr Paul Lawton for the short-term process of managing the pain at a time of debilitation so intense he couldn't get out of bed. And he can thank Lloyd Williams for getting him in touch with Israel-based neurosurgeon Professor Andrew Kaye to WhatsApp his way through the medical plan.

"It has been a physical challenge obviously as much as a mental one, but I can't thank Leanne enough and I've been lucky to have racing."

The operation left him in an induced come for three days and there have been Ketamine-based hallucinations that still haunt him but that he openly talks about.

"The ketamine is to take the pain away, but it become like a paranoia and it's like you responded in exactly the opposite way to what it should be doing for you. I know one day I rang my mates and were telling them they were knocking me off, when they were only trying to help me. I don't want to be going through that again." Lester said.

"The rehab has started with physio on the back, simple things like stretching, sitting and standing up, and pedalling three kilometres on a moped."

Lester does acknowledge the enforced break from his regular duties and medical expenses has eaten into life's kitty but he is looking forward to getting back to the track, which he hopes may be Memsie Stakes day, August 27.

And the familiar sight of Lester on his scooter, he's been using one (well three of them, even one that Luke Currie seconded after winning on Makybe Diva at Flemington and ran it to ground in the Flemington members) over the last 20 years for mobility, will be upgraded by a new power wheelchair, allowing him a little more elevation to look friends and fans more in the eye.

"That is one thing that has been very humbling," Lester said. "The messages, hundreds of them, not just from people I know, or vaguely know but people who have found my number and texted me.

"I think I have been true to what I have known from the start in this game, it's never been about me, it was the horse first and then the punting and I've been very fortunate for the opportunities I have been given and if that means that people have gravitated to me over time for the way I do things I am very flattered."

So, if he tips In The Boat or Stern Idle, or How's The Serenity, The Admiral or Seberate in Perth with his great mate Simon Miller, horses he has interests in at the moment, he will do so because he thinks they will win on form, not because they have been improved by his ownership.

That's the Deane Lester way. Keep defying them, Deano!


Wisdom has been chasing me but I've always outrun it!
Back to Top
Second Chance View Drop Down
Champion
Champion
Avatar

Joined: 02 Dec 2007
Status: Offline
Points: 45319
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Second Chance Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Aug 2022 at 3:52pm
Quite extraordinary.  What strength of character this man must have in the face of his debilitating physical challenges.
Back to Top
VOYAGER View Drop Down
Champion
Champion
Avatar

Joined: 04 Aug 2007
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 18699
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote VOYAGER Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Aug 2022 at 7:54pm
While I am sure Deane gets a kick out of backing winners he selects, I can guarantee you that doing the form and getting a good priced winner up that no one else thought was a chance would give him great satisfaction.

The enjoyment for me is actually doing the form and I am sure that because of his situation actually doing the form is the thing that allows Deane to not have to think about his situation.

And I totally agree with all the posts here, he is one of the best wagering influencers around. 
Remember, it might take intelligence to be smart , but it takes experience to be wise
Back to Top
Shawy38 View Drop Down
Champion
Champion
Avatar

Joined: 13 Jun 2015
Status: Offline
Points: 17253
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Shawy38 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jan 2023 at 2:13pm

Racing unites for Deane's big battle

acing is uniting for highly respected form expert and media personality Deane Lester.

A prominent member of the Australian racing community, Lester has recently been diagnosed with cancer and the illness prevents him from working in the short-to-medium term.

A GoFund Me page has been created for Lester, with the goal of raising $100,000 to help with mortgages, medical treatment and his weekly needs.

"Deane's condition will sadly prevent him from working at all, in any form, in the short-to-medium term," reads the GoFund Me headed by Hamish McLachlan to help Lester.

"He will be undergoing regular treatment and will not be in a position to do anything other than recover.

"As Deane has always been a sole contractor, Deane will now be without any form of income. As you would expect, Deane has many commitments to meet, some historical, many in the future.

"Deane is a proud man, but when offered, did not shy away from the desperate times he finds himself in. He did not deny the need for help.

"He would prefer this letter wasn't needed. He concedes it is."

McLachlan described Lester as a 'pillar of the industry' and 'one of the most-loved humans'.

"He has been battling for a long time," McLachlan said on RSN927 of Lester's various health battles.

"Since his back surgery last June, he continued to feel fatigued.

"They started to do some tests in the last month or so. Last week it came back he is sadly riddled with cancer. He is going to really battle from here.

"They did a PET scan, put dye through the body and it lights up where the cancer is. In Deane's words, 'I lit up like a Christmas tree'.

"He has a battle as big he has ever seen."

The Victorian Jockeys Association has donated $10,000 to the cause, while trainer Gavin Bedggood has donated $3000.

To donate to help Deane, click here.

When I last checked they've raised just over $50,000 since this morning.

Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing
Back to Top
Gay3 View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group


Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Location: Miners Rest
Status: Offline
Points: 51818
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gay3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jan 2023 at 5:03pm
OMG Angry as if he hasn't suffered enough throughout his life Cry
Present total: $76507 Clap shows the esteem in which he's held.

Wisdom has been chasing me but I've always outrun it!
Back to Top
Second Chance View Drop Down
Champion
Champion
Avatar

Joined: 02 Dec 2007
Status: Offline
Points: 45319
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Second Chance Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jan 2023 at 5:10pm
Just a lovely bloke.  Have just tipped in myself, and reckon they could get twice or three times the $100k they're aiming for.  Let's just hope so.
Back to Top
djebel View Drop Down
Premium
Premium
Avatar

Joined: 07 Mar 2007
Status: Offline
Points: 53960
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote djebel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jan 2023 at 9:45pm
This is just so incredibly sad. Just how unlucky can one bloke be ? 
reductio ad absurdum
Back to Top
Jamal View Drop Down
Champion
Champion
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Status: Offline
Points: 8659
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jamal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jan 2023 at 11:10am
Very sad. Will be donating to the gofundme page. Every bit helps. 

Hope he can pull through. 
Back to Top
Passing Through View Drop Down
Champion
Champion
Avatar

Joined: 09 Jan 2013
Location: At home
Status: Offline
Points: 79533
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Passing Through Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jan 2023 at 11:30am
Back to Top
Jamal View Drop Down
Champion
Champion
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Status: Offline
Points: 8659
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jamal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jan 2023 at 3:20pm
Currently $145,555 has been donated. Fantastic.
Back to Top
Gay3 View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group


Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Location: Miners Rest
Status: Offline
Points: 51818
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gay3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jan 2023 at 1:37pm

Racing rallies to raise almost $200,000 for Deane Lester cancer fight


Much-loved racing personality Deane Lester has thousands of his disciples right behind him in his battle against an unknown enemy.

Lester was recently diagnosed with cancer but experts at The Alfred Hospital have not yet been able to determine the type of cancer that has invaded the guru tipster's system.

The inability to narrow down Lester's issue only serves to delay the start of treatment.

"What type of cancer and what treatment going forward is the mystery," Lester told his home station RSN927.

"The oncologists at The Alfred, some of whom have been there 20 years, have never seen anything like it.

"If you can't see something like it, you can't treat it.

"Whatever the cancer is, it doesn't present like leukaemia or lymphoma, whatever it is, it's tearing my life source apart."

Lester also suffers from a kidney problem that requires regular dialysis while he had back surgery last year and other health ailments over the years.

Yet Lester continued to do the work required to remain the form expert of choice for thousands of punters, either listening to RSN927, grabbing his tips off TV or other various media outlets.

He has also continued to be a valued adviser to jockeys such as Melbourne Cup and Melbourne Jockeys' Premiership winner Jye McNeil, many top Victorian trainers and local racing administrators.

Lester is known for his preparedness to help anyone who needs it.

But the cancer diagnosis has put a halt to Lester's work and now he needs a hand.

"My work has been compromised by a few different illnesses over the last three years and that's why I've had to ask for help," Lester said.

"I'm hoping it's not the end but, realistically, it could be the end of working."

The preparedness to help is why the sometimes fractured and divided racing industry teamed with everyday punters to chip in almost $200,000 in less than 48 hours to assist Lester via a GoFundMe page set up by RSN927 with assistance from Channel 7 presenter Hamish McLachlan.

An initial target of $100,000 was set but donations surged through that aim in the first 24 hours, humbling Lester.

"I'm totally overwhelmed with what's happened in the last three days," Lester said.

"For anyone that has donated, I'm very, very gratified that you have done so, that I've done something over the years that made you do that."

RSN927, Racing Victoria and the Victorian Jockeys' Association tipped in $10,000 each while the likes of trainers Mick Price, Lindsey Smith and Gavin Bedggood made large donations.

The TAB, on many occasions the bearer of significant losses inspired by Lester's tipping skills, has matched six months of his radio payments while chief executive Adam Rytenskild has written to him offering assistance.

The Cranbourne Turf Club will also raise funds for Lester at its night meeting on Friday week.

Racing's troops have rallied behind Lester, who is determined to fight the cancer when it is fully revealed.

"I'll keep fighting. I've got the mouthguard in and the gloves on, I'm ready," Lester said.

Wisdom has been chasing me but I've always outrun it!
Back to Top
Batman View Drop Down
Champion
Champion
Avatar

Joined: 22 Jan 2018
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 2261
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Batman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jan 2023 at 7:18pm
Good luck to Dean with his fight. Everyone prays you can beat this. But my question is; If he is such a guru tipster, then why does he need the Go Fund Me page? Most tipsters are just desperate punters who haven’t got a bean to bless themselves with. 

Gambling has brought our family closer together. We had to move to a smaller house.
Back to Top
Second Chance View Drop Down
Champion
Champion
Avatar

Joined: 02 Dec 2007
Status: Offline
Points: 45319
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Second Chance Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jan 2023 at 7:24pm
How about his mortgage?  How about his astronomical, on-going medical costs?  P1ss poor post.
Back to Top
Batman View Drop Down
Champion
Champion
Avatar

Joined: 22 Jan 2018
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 2261
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Batman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jan 2023 at 8:42pm
Originally posted by Second Chance Second Chance wrote:

How about his mortgage?  How about his astronomical, on-going medical costs?  P1ss poor post.
Fair point. Apologies offered 
Gambling has brought our family closer together. We had to move to a smaller house.
Back to Top
djebel View Drop Down
Premium
Premium
Avatar

Joined: 07 Mar 2007
Status: Offline
Points: 53960
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote djebel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2023 at 11:32pm
Devastating news to come home to.




reductio ad absurdum
Back to Top
Jamal View Drop Down
Champion
Champion
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Status: Offline
Points: 8659
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jamal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2023 at 12:07am
Very sad news. R.I.P Deane Lester Cry


https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/horse-racing/revered-industry-identity-deane-lester-passes-away-following-battle-with-cancer/news-story/a7d2f0ea8beac9bf24902e6cd63f6bf8
Back to Top
VSP. View Drop Down
Premium
Premium
Avatar

Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 8315
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VSP. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2023 at 12:41am
Oh no, that is incredibly sad news.
Champion bloke. RIP Deane.
www.snowshoecats.webs.com
Back to Top
Shawy38 View Drop Down
Champion
Champion
Avatar

Joined: 13 Jun 2015
Status: Offline
Points: 17253
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shawy38 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2023 at 6:31am
I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting the bloke but this is just heartbreaking. So sad and thinking of all his family and friends 
Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing
Back to Top
TJMitchell View Drop Down
Champion
Champion
Avatar

Joined: 29 Jun 2014
Location: Melbourne
Status: Offline
Points: 16890
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TJMitchell Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2023 at 8:59am
Rest in peace Deano. One of the best and a ripping bloke
Time is a flat circle
Back to Top
Bonjour View Drop Down
Champion
Champion


Joined: 25 Feb 2010
Status: Offline
Points: 8402
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bonjour Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2023 at 9:52am
By the outpouring he was an outstanding fellow, another good bugger gone, fly high Deane.
Back to Top
acacia alba View Drop Down
Champion
Champion
Avatar

Joined: 31 Oct 2010
Location: Hunter Valley
Status: Offline
Points: 41243
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote acacia alba Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2023 at 10:42am
Never got to meet him, but he must have been a top bloke. Its devastating to think one man can go thru so much only to die so young.
Only the good die young.
R I P Dean and thoughts for your family and friends.
animals before people.
Back to Top
Plastic letters View Drop Down
Champion
Champion
Avatar

Joined: 21 Jan 2023
Location: Sydney
Status: Offline
Points: 4550
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Plastic letters Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2023 at 10:56am
Probably the best tipster I’ve come across. Certainly the only one I’ve really bothered to follow his selections on

I wonder what “methods” he used
Back to Top
rusty nails View Drop Down
Champion
Champion


Joined: 20 Mar 2013
Location: Sydney
Status: Offline
Points: 11301
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rusty nails Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2023 at 11:53am
Studied the form?
Back to Top
Shawy38 View Drop Down
Champion
Champion
Avatar

Joined: 13 Jun 2015
Status: Offline
Points: 17253
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Shawy38 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2023 at 12:01pm

Jye McNeil's daring all-the-way victory in the 2020 Melbourne Cup had its beginnings in the mind of Deane Lester, but that ultimate triumph was one of so many for the man who was revered throughout the industry as a true racing guru.

"I've never, ever met anyone who could predict the future of thoroughbred racing, but he came close," said Lester's longtime friend and former star jockey Simon Marshall.

"He was a supreme tipster because of all the work he'd put in, but it was more the passion he showed about wanting to understand how to beat the opposition that saw him stand out from the crowd.

"He came up with ways of developing that through different riding tactics. Also, he had a great understanding of how other jockeys rode and their strengths and weaknesses, so he could see what was likely to happen most of the times.

"That is what fast-tracked me to outride my claim in the country within 12 months and then in effect beat Darren Gauci's record by a couple of weeks in outriding my claim in the metropolitan area."

Some would only know Lester as a racehorse tipster, but Marshall explained his knowledge of the industry meant all sections sought his advice.

"He knew horses. He was a very good horseman himself and he prided himself on that," he said.

"About 20 years ago when he could only get around on the scooter because of his condition (Spina Bifida), he loved it because it meant him being close to the mounting yard. He knew how to read horses and that last look would just confirm his thoughts.

"He was like a rock star. You spend the day with Deane Lester at the races and you meet every major player in the game."

Marshall said so many participants relied on Lester's knowledge and gut feel due to his amazing recall.

"His ability to remember horses' programs, trainers' programs, jockeys and their riding tactics and the tracks the way they played was just beyond belief," he said.

"He had a system in place where all of that knowledge and data that he'd collected throughout his time in racing, he made something of it and so many people relied on what he'd think."

Marshall first met Lester back in the late 1980s when Lester was making his way as a strapper at Cranbourne.

"Deano is an integral part of Cranbourne racing history," he said.

"He started out as a strapper in the stables and then becoming a trackman for Cranbourne with his reports in the Sporting Globe. Then, it was onto 3UZ (now RSN927), then slowly but surely, he was on his way to making it big.

"From Peter Mertens, Luke Currie, Noel Callow, Jye McNeil, myself and of late Micky Dee, have all been coached and mentored by him at some time.

"He'd try to get them to the next level and with Micky Dee, he started talking to Deano and about speed maps and those sorts of things and it was no surprise to anyone that he came out of last spring a Caulfield Cup (Durston) and Victoria Derby (Manzoice) winner.

"Loads of people in this industry are going to miss Deano terribly, especially all those that went on to become his friend. He was a champion bloke."


Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing
Back to Top
Plastic letters View Drop Down
Champion
Champion
Avatar

Joined: 21 Jan 2023
Location: Sydney
Status: Offline
Points: 4550
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Plastic letters Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2023 at 3:20pm
Originally posted by rusty nails rusty nails wrote:

Studied the form?
Geez, thanks scoop LOL
Back to Top
Gay3 View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group


Joined: 19 Feb 2007
Location: Miners Rest
Status: Offline
Points: 51818
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gay3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2023 at 6:09pm

Lester's incredible life


Robbie Griffiths' phone lit up last Friday night.

As he peered down, the familiar name of Deane Lester appeared on the screen.

The duo had been mates since they were young, knocking around with the likes of Ivan Culliver and Simon Marshall as well.

Lester was in the middle of his biggest battle, one that would eventually take his life.

A rare cancer, diagnosed in only January and which took his life on Thursday night, was making life incredibly tough for Lester as he battled it and a number of other medical problems.

But that didn't change his incredible sense of humour. Even in the toughest times he was still able to make people laugh.

"This text comes through last Friday night, 7:19pm," Griffiths recalled.

"It read: 'Dear Robbie. I'm racing well, but I go much better on bigger tracks. Kind regards, Hard Squeeze'.

"(We'd been racing Hard Squeeze) in Benchmark races for mares and they've been at Moonee Valley. And you like to race mares with mares.

"But her last win was at Sandown. She wins on big tracks.

"That's Deane's wit. He's battled with terrible illnesses, but he has never lost his sense of humour."

Growing up as an only child in Dromana, Lester had always been around horses.

In fact, he was just eight weeks old when he first attended the races.

His parents ran stud farms in Victoria, standing Sydney Triple Crown winner Martello Towers at the Dromana property.

From there the family moved to the Dandenongs, where the farm in Gembrook stood a number of horses including Mornington Cup winner Gay Marquis.

Lester was about three or four years old when he really started to take an interest in horses.

He had a Shetland pony and would watch mares foaling down. He attended the 1972 Cox Plate won by Gunsynd.

Lester was born with Spina Bifida, a birth defect that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don't form properly, but he never let it impact his life.

He'd play various sports including footy, golf, tennis and cricket. Many believe he could have made a high level of golf and even with a walking stick played off 16.

But horses were always in the background. From the metro meetings dealing with the world's richest people, to the picnics, Lester couldn't get enough.

As a teen, schoolmates would sometimes laugh at the way he walked, but Lester never let it bother him.

After the separation of his parents, Lester's father started to train racehorses.

He'd go there on a weekend and ride them. He'd watch and learn.

As he got older, his hunger to train horses grew. You'd see Lester shadowing some of the big names of racing.

Angus Armanasco, Colin Alderson and Tommy Hughes were driven mad as Lester peppered them with questions.

That thirst for knowledge would come in handy throughout his career, becoming a sounding board for so many in the industry over the years.

However, the physical complications which came from his conditions meant a career as a trainer was highly unlikely, so Lester looked at other avenues.

He started to do some form comments in the newspaper.

And then, just before his 21st birthday, he got his biggest break.

Lester landed the job of clocking horses at Cranbourne and his desire to work in the media grew.

He worked hard. Attending the track on days when he wasn't meant to be working just to watch and learn.

He sent letters to 3UZ (now RSN927) and on the 11th attempt he was successful.

It turned out to be one of the best employment decisions made.

Lester would go on to become one of the world's best tipsters, with his insight and selections filling the pockets of punters throughout the week.

Didn't do the form? Follow Deano. Need something in the last to get you out? Follow Deano.

His roughie selections heading into the weekend would flip markets, such was his following.

But it wasn't just punters that benefitted from Lester's incredible knowledge. It was trainers and jockeys too.

Such was his knowledge, Lester was regularly called by trainers to help with tactics and placement of their horses.

Griffiths likened him to a human Google search.

"His recall memory was incredible. He had an incredible intellect," Griffiths said.

He was a mentor, manager and idol to a number of jockeys including Marshall, Luke Currie, Nick Hall and Jye McNeil.

One of his biggest triumphs came in the 2020 Melbourne Cup.

Leviathan owner Lloyd Williams was a close friend of Lester's and it was his association with young jockey McNeil that led to his booking for the ride on Twilight Payment.

McNeil had previously reached out to Lester, hoping to work with him in an attempt to solidify his position in the Victorian riding ranks.

Two days before the Melbourne Cup, the plan was made with trainer Joseph O'Brien on how Twilight Payment would be ridden in the race.

It led to one of the boldest front-running rides in Melbourne Cup history, etching McNeil's name in folklore and delivering Williams a seventh victory in the race.

"Very sad day. Deane was a wonderful contributor to the racing industry on so many levels," Williams' son Nick told Racing.com.

"He was a generational talent with his ability to understand all aspects of racing, from the training of the horse, placement, race tactics and the betting markets, a truly remarkable man whose generosity sharing his knowledge was extraordinary.

"A life very well lived but much too short. He will be missed by many."

As an owner, one of his greatest achievements came when The Quarterback won the 2016 Newmarket Handicap, beating the likes of Group 1 stars Black Heart Bart and Chautauqua.

But in the background of all this were Lester's numerous health battles.

His condition meant that from 2002 he was forced to use a mobility scooter to get around.

In 2017, his health took a turn for the worse. A wound at the back of his leg wouldn't heal and after an operation and a stint in ICU, the diagnosis wasn't good.

Doctors told him that he would have to spend all of his time on his side in an attempt to let the wound heal. If he didn't, he would die.

So he spent 16 months letting that wound heal, watching races, doing the form and delivering his expert analysis on TV and radio from his bedroom.

In June last year, he had significant back surgery due to the deteriorating condition of his vertebrae between the T8 and T9.

He also had to have regular dialysis due to kidney failure.

However, the much-loved industry icon was dealt a cruel blow in January this year, when doctors diagnosed him with a rare cancer.

Some of Australia's leading cancer specialists worked on a treatment plan, with Lester having to juggle dialysis with blood transfusions to keep him going.

Two of the constants by his side were his partner of more than three years, Leanne and mother Sandra. They were rocks in Lester's life.

Lester's health deteriorated this week and he passed away late on Thursday night.

"He was in terrible pain. He got very sick very quickly on Saturday evening while he was on his dialysis machine. He had agonising pain in his stomach," Leanne told RSN927.

"Anyone who knows Deane knows how much he hates hospitals. He held out as long as he could but eventually, he got so sick and was in so much pain he couldn't move.

"I said, 'I love you Deane'. And he said, 'I love you too, Leanne'. I had no idea that would be the last time I spoke to him.

"By the time he entered hospital, he basically lost consciousness. It was found he had inflammation of the ilium, which is a section of the small intestine.

"As big as his heart was, and we all know how big it was, he couldn't fight any longer."

Leanne whispered to Deane that it was okay and that he could go.

But Lester fought on, waiting for mate Gerry Ryan to arrive.

The pair had struck up a close bond, with Ryan seen as almost like a second father to Lester.

The Emerald was always a favourite drinking hole for Lester and the pair would always chat about horses and, of course, the St Kilda Football Club.

The Saints were always a passion of Lester's and the club, along with movies, TV and music, were his key interests off track.

"We shared a bond," Ryan told RSN927.

"He encouraged me to expand my equine enterprise. He's been a great advisor to me. We've enjoyed St Kilda and the Storm.

"He could have been a champion golfer had he not had the medical issues he had. But he never backed down.

"He was a genius at it (racing analysis). He was always prepared to pass on information to those who would seek it.

"When Americain won the Melbourne Cup, the first person I went to was Deano. It was very special."

Lester passed once Ryan was in the room. Two mates together just one more time.

Fleetwood Mac's Songbird was playing in the background. It was a song that Leanne and Lester shared a special love for.

Halfway though the song, Lester stopped breathing.

"For you, there'll be no more crying,

For you, the sun will be shining,

And I feel that when I'm with you,

It's alright, I know it's right," the song begins with.

Lester was no longer in pain. He left a massive legacy in the racing industry as a whole.

"He had an open heart for everyone. He was so giving of his time. He talked to people, he didn't talk down to them. I'm so proud of him and all that he achieved," Leanne said.

Ryan added: "He has left a mark in racing and in fact all of his friends. He was always up for a chat, it didn't matter who you were. We've lost a great man."

Griffiths said: "What makes Deane the man? His selfless, big-hearted nature. His ability beyond his disability made him so special. Live is never going to be the same."

Deane Lester. One of the world's best form analysts. One of the world's best people. Vale.

Wisdom has been chasing me but I've always outrun it!
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.05
Copyright ©2001-2022 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.109 seconds.