Finding somebody in Sydney racing who doesn’t admire the Lee family is much like the task confronting archaeologists in their search for the tomb of Antony and Cleopatra. The popularity of co-trainers Jim and Greg Lee was illustrated yet again on Saturday when Glorious Moments emerged from the pack to swamp the leaders in The Agency Real Estate BM72. Many Randwick racegoers and off course observers gave the promising three year old an extra cheer as he careered away to win by a widening 4.15 lengths. Their reaction was influenced by the fact that Glorious Moments had run right up to his brilliant Canterbury win on June 18th, but many were genuinely thrilled to see the training brothers land another winner at headquarters.
Glorious Moments was an $85,000 purchase for Keith Lam’s Shinkansen Bloodstock at the 2023 Inglis Classic Sale. His sire Brutal had raced only ten times for an imposing record of five wins, three placings and $2.6 million. He won the Doncaster as an autumn three year old defeating Dreamforce and Hartnell, and confirmed the form with a gutsy win over Home Of The Brave and Hartnell in the Gr 2 Premiere Stakes a few months later. Almost as good as a win was his respectable second to the “low flying” Winx in the 2019 George Ryder Stakes. Glorious Moments’ dam Sretan (Bernardini) was winless in three starts, but his second dam Pure Joy (Fusiachi Pegasus) had won two metro races in Melbourne including the Gr 3 Vanity at Flemington.
This won’t be the last time part owner Keith Lam (second from left) holds the winner's sash - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Keith Lam, a long time client of the Lee stable decided to race the horse himself with friend and business partner H.K. Hon. Neither could have imagined the problems that lie ahead. Greg Lee was visiting his 94 year old father James Snr when I tracked him down on Sunday morning. Before getting onto the likely prospects of Glorious Moments he happily reported that the family’s elder statesman continues to enjoy remarkable health and keeps a close watch on stable runners.
The trainer shudders when he recalls the chronic foot problem the gelding had to overcome. “He developed a niggling off-fore quarter crack early in his first preparation last year but not before we knew he had plenty of ability,” said Greg. “We were able to manage him for a while and actually started him in a two year old race at Rosehill, but he wasn’t himself. After a few easy weeks and a lot of attention from the farrier we decided to trial him at Rosehill. He stretched out pretty well and we were happy with the way he pulled up. The decision was made to run him in the Pago Pago Stakes at Rosehill with unhappy results. The foot problem had taken his confidence away and he finished a long way behind the winner. There was only one solution, and that was to let mother nature do her work. It was thirteen months before Glorious Moments appeared at the trials. The quarter crack had disappeared.”
He was given an easy time when second over 740m in a Randwick trial on May 5th, but was allowed to do a little more three weeks later in another Randwick trial over 1045m. The trial watchers were sent into overdrive when the “new look” Glorious Moments decimated his rivals to win by more than nine lengths. The only surprising feature about his Super maiden win at Canterbury was the fact that he started at $8.00. With Reece Jones in the saddle, he box-seated on the fence to the turn before switching around the heels of the leader and strolling away to an arrogant win.
Glorious Moments opens his winning account at Canterbury 18/06/2025 with Reece Jones in the saddle - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Convinced that the Brutal gelding relishes being on the fresh side, Jim and Greg Lee were in no hurry to produce him again. When the gelding stepped out at Randwick on Saturday, five and a half weeks had passed since his Canterbury win. He was nothing short of explosive. Glorious Moments travelled generously in fifth spot on the fence to the 600m where he appeared to come off the bridle momentarily. When jockey Van Der Hoven cleared the heels of Signor Tortoni and got him to the outside on top of the rise, he was a different horse. His turn of foot was something you’d expect of a horse going places, and his winning margin was out of the ball park. Van Der Hoven reported after the race that the lightly raced three year old really doesn’t know what he’s doing at the moment.
The win marked Heavelon Van Der Hoven’s first Saturday metropolitan win in Australia. The Namibian born horseman arrived in Sydney unannounced five years ago after riding a handful of winners in South Africa. He’s yet another product of the famous Summerveld Jockey’s Academy where many successful riders first learned the fundamentals of their chosen craft. Graduates of the unique training centre include Jeff Lloyd, Glyn Schofield, Basil Marcus, Douglas Whyte, Robbie Fradd and Keagan Latham who’s currently winding up another stellar season on the NSW provincial and country circuits.
Heavelon Van Der Hoven recorded his first Sydney metropolitan win on Glorious Moments on Saturday - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Since settling in Sydney Van Der Hoven has enjoyed a fruitful association with the Annabel/Rob Archibald stable. He’s been a regular at Randwick trackwork and has made the most of the opportunities to come his way on outside tracks. His willingness to ride work for the Lee stable when time permits, has brought him a measure of success in recent months. Apart from Glorious Moments, Heavelon has won races just lately on Power Smash, My Shalom and Valiant Bomb. It’s ironic to think the expat South African should win his first Saturday metropolitan race on the eve of his departure to Queensland. Van Der Hoven has accepted Annabel Archibald’s invitation to become a part of her Queensland team and perhaps earn some support from Brisbane trainers. He clearly stipulated after Saturday’s win that he’d be more than happy to commute if required for Glorious Moments going forward.
Greg Lee (70) and brother Jim (71) have scaled back their operation in recent times. Greg is hands on with their small team while Jim concentrates on managing the racing programmes of the horses. Collaboration is frequent and the partnership is working smoothly.
Jim and Greg Lee have operated as a team for close to seventeen years now. Prior to that Jim trained under his own banner and still pinches himself to believe he was lucky enough to come across a “dream horse” very early in his career. He was approached in the early 1980’s by prominent owner Les Walters who was forging a presence in Sydney racing. “Mr Walters had a reputation as an owner who would change his trainer at the drop of a hat,” Jim recalled. “I must have done something right because he was still with me twenty years later.”
Jim’s achievements with the hardy stallion Hayai consolidated his association with the veteran owner. Hayai raced sixty three times for ten wins, eleven seconds and two thirds for prize money of $822,000 four decades ago. His racing career didn’t begin until he was a spring three year old and that late start proved to be a masterstroke. Hayai went on to win the AJC Metropolitan on two occasions, the first at Warwick Farm in 1983. His finest moment came twelve days later when he struck a quagmire track in the Caulfield Cup. With Neville Voigt in the saddle, the son of Skyhawk revelled in the ground to win the famous race by a widening 3.5 lengths. The following autumn he added the Gr 1 Tancred Stakes to his CV.
Hayai won the AJC Metropolitan twice. Here's the second at Randwick in 1984 with Ron Quinton on board - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
Jim Lee with owner Les Walters and Ron Quinton after Hayai's second Metropolitan win - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
Hayai’s racing career far overshadowed his deeds as a sire. He failed to produce a stakes winner and it was a matter of record that he attracted only 52 mares in six seasons at stud. Jim never got to train another Hayai, but with Greg by his side he went on to win countless races with talented horses like Tierra Rist, Paulandic, Fouardee, Keepin’ The Dream, Ken’s Fortune, Our Year, Zara Dancer, Mr. Victory, Seattle Gem, Zipella, My Diamond Rouge, Our Magic Man, and Keepit To Yourself.
There’s one name on that list that resonates very strongly with me. My final day of race calling on August 1st 1998 (horse’s birthday) was obviously an occasion of great sentiment. The feature race was the Gr 3 Missile Stakes, and I was hoping one of my favourite trainers and jockeys would get home in the important sprint. It couldn’t have worked out better. The winner Mr. Victory was ridden by Rodney Quinn and trained by Jimmy Lee. I was one very happy retiring race caller when I left the Rosehill broadcast box for the last time.
A priceless racing photograph! This one was taken at a 1974 Randwick meeting when Jim Lee (left) Greg (centre) and David all had rides on the day.
FOOTNOTE. Greg was excited to relate that yet another budding jockey is about to emerge in the Lee family. Fifteen year old Aiden Lee will shortly commence an apprenticeship with the O’Shea/ Charlton stable. Aiden’s father is Jason Lee who quit the saddle ten years ago with more than 250 winners on his CV. Jason is the son of David Lee who rode his share of winners when apprenticed to Les Bridge in the 1970’s. Aiden’s mother Tina is a granddaughter of former iconic jockey George Moore. “With a pedigree like that you’d expect young Aiden to be an absolute natural,” said Greg Lee. “From what we’ve seen so far he’s exactly that.”
(Banner image - Glorious Moments was all on his own at the finish of The Agency Real Estate BM72 at Randwick - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)