Glorious Moments (yellow cap) storms home to win Saturday's Ranvet Hcp. - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

This time two years ago training partners Jim and Greg Lee had just about given up on the likelihood of Glorious Moments ever realising the potential he’d shown them on the training track. Early in his first preparation the son of Brutal displayed the first telltale signs of the last thing trainers ever want to see. The youngster was displaying the first telltale signs of an oncoming quarter crack in his off-fore foot. Put simply the equine quarter crack is a vertical split in the hoof wall beginning at the coronet band (hairline) and extending downwards. Most quarter cracks are attributed to uneven pressure on the hoof wall, faulty conformation, poor hoof quality or improper shoeing - sometimes it can be the result of a combination of two or more of these factors.

The problem was still in its very early stages in January 2024 when the brothers decided to start Glorious Moments in a two year old race at Rosehill. Inexperienced and nowhere near fully wound up, he beat only a couple home but was just over six lengths from the winner Fully Lit. Careful supervision from the stable farrier kept the youngster’s foot issue under check, and his gallops continued to please. Jim and Greg elected to run him in the Gr 3 Pago Pago Stakes in which he finished a long way from winner Dublin Down. It was obvious the developing quarter crack had sapped his confidence. The Lees couldn’t get him to the paddock quickly enough, and it was to be a long time before he stepped out in public again. During that extended spell mother nature did the job as only she can. The hideous quarter crack grew out from the coronet band all the way to the sole. Result, a brand new off-fore foot and happily the problem has never recurred.

Glorious Moments' foot problems are behind him! He's a happy horse and is racing accordingly - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

Thirteen months after his Pago Pago failure Glorious Moments was given an easy time in finishing second in a 740m Randwick barrier trial. Three weeks later he lined up in another maiden trial over 1045m and this time showcased the opinion Jim and Greg had held for a long time. He won the trial by a ridiculous 9.09 lengths and was obviously the talk of the session. Nineteen days later the only surprise about his effortless Super maiden win at Canterbury, was his liberal starting price of $8.00.

Now totally convinced that Glorious Moments was amenable to a good space between runs, Jim and Greg waited five and a half weeks before sending him around in a 1300m BM72 at Randwick. Their astute judgement was vindicated when the gelding parked just off the pace before “exploding” away to win a pretty tidy race by more than four lengths from Codetta with Signor Tortoni in third place. Interesting to note the latter has since won four metropolitan races and was placed in a Gr 3 on Golden Slipper day. That Randwick win also marked a first Saturday metropolitan win for expat Namibian born jockey Heavelon Van Der Hoven who arrived in Australia six years ago after having ridden a few winners in South Africa. Jim and Greg, confident they had a pretty good horse on their hands, opted to put Glorious Moments away again after his effortless Randwick win.

Glorious Moments (Heavelon Van Der Hoven) blew the opposition away in a BM72 at Randwick 26/07/2025 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

It was just over eight months before the four year old reappeared, and this time his trainers opted for three trials. He was placed in the first couple with stable apprentice Deon Le Roux on board but James McDonald seemed anxious to ride him in a third trial at Randwick on May 15th. McDonald “looked after” him in finishing a soft 5th and needed no persuasion to ride him again first up at Warwick Farm in a BM72. There were good reasons for what appeared to be an unconvincing win. For starters 1100m is way short of his preferred trip, secondly it was a H8 track and thirdly the handicapper had slapped him with the steadier of 61.5kgs. He seemed flatfooted soon after straightening but was fairly charging on the line to beat a couple of handy ones in Madrina and Formal. In fact, only a pretty good horse would have been capable of doing what he did on the day.

He surprisingly missed a place at his following start at Randwick but when the dust settled it was clear the run was better than it seemed. It was obvious soon after the start that he’d need to go forward or back if he was ever going to get in from a wide draw. Reece Jones elected to stay where he was, resulting in Glorious Moments having to race three deep throughout. A moderate pace saw the horse caught flatfooted with his 60.5kgs when they sprinted from the 500m, and it was clear he’d be struggling to run a place as they came up the rise. He did however get going late to wind up 6th, only 1.5 lengths from the winner Mr. Chaplin who’d been confidently supported. It was hard to fault the run.

Punters were obviously of the same opinion and had no hesitation in sending the gelding out a solid $3.30 favourite in Saturday’s BM78 Hcp despite his joint topweight of 60.5kgs, and the fact that he again had to contend with a wide gate. Chad Schofield skilfully angled Glorious Moments across to land one out one back but elected to edge out three wide when Super Massive moved up outside two leaders at the 800m. Nearing the turn Just Glamourous led from Super Norwest, Supermassive 3 wide, Hezdarnhottoo on the inside of Super Bright and Glorious Moments in the three wide train with cover. Straightening for home Just Glamourous pinched a break on Supermassive with Glorious Moments winding up wider out. The Lee trained gelding took a while to hit his top under the big weight but really meant business in the drive to the line. He was gallant in grabbing Just Glamourous with Supermassive third. This horse was having only his seventh race start and is clearly just starting to learn his craft.

Image 4 - Glorious Moments took a while to wind up under his 60.5kgs but was charging on the line to beat Just Glamourous on Saturday - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

Glorious Moments has won four of those seven starts for a prize money tally of $282,650, a tidy return on his $85,000 purchase price for Shinkansen Bloodstock at the 2023 Inglis Classic Sale.

Keith Lam, a long time stable client opted to race the horse himself with friend and business associate H.K. Hon. It’s been a long and frustrating journey, but both owners are now enjoying the delights of having a very talented horse on their hands. Glorious Moments will tackle stakes level for the first time when he contests the listed Winter Stakes of 1400m at Rosehill Gardens on July 4th.

The four year old is by Newgate Farm’s Brutal who’s proving to be great value for smaller breeders at a $16,500 service fee. The son of O’Reilly has produced a constant stream of winners including Gr 1 Champagne Stakes winner Nepotism. Brutal himself raced only ten times for five wins, three seconds and $2.3 million. He joined an elite group in winning a Doncaster as a three year old, but is possibly best remembered for his cracking second to Winx in the 2019 George Ryder Stakes. Some good judges said Winx was the only horse who could have beaten him on the day.

Part owner Keith Lam was on hand to see his talented galloper Glorious Moments win a fourth city race on Saturday - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

Jim and Greg Lee who’ve been training in partnership since 2008, rarely have more than ten horses in work these days. The majority are owned by valued client Fred Khedoori who’s been supporting the stable since 1983. “Fred has been a wonderful supporter and has helped us through some very difficult times,” says Greg. “He’s had a lot of horses with us and has thankfully enjoyed his share of success. Some of his better ones include Mr. Victory who won a Gr 3 Missile Stakes and went very close in a Gr 2 Premiere Stakes, and Keepin’ the Dream who won a swag of top outside races including a Newcastle Newmarket, listed Rowley Mile, Gr 3 Hawkesbury Cup, listed Scone Cup and a listed Gosford Cup. Then there was New Zealand filly Seattle Gem who had only a handful of starts in Australia but won a Furious Stakes for Fred. He also had a lot of fun with Fouardee who won eight races including five black types and I don’t know how many placings. Fred Khedoori is now 92 but in very good health and enjoying his racing as much as ever.”

One of multiple wins for Fred Khedoori's consistent galloper Fouardee seen here defeating Into The Night in the Concorde Stakes at Rosehill 31/08/2002. Chris Munce was the jockey - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

On the jockey front both Jim and Greg speak highly of stable apprentice Deon Le Roux who’s currently out with a foot injury sustained in a barrier mishap at Newcastle in April. Deon rode a handful of winners in England before joining the Lee stable and has already posted close to 20 wins in Australia. “He’s a nice kid, a very good worker and a natural riding talent,” says Greg. “We sent him home to England to spend time with his family while getting over the foot injury. He’s due back at work in a couple of weeks and he’ll soon be back riding winners.”

Jim and Greg are understandably excited about the future prospects of another family member who boasts a blueblood pedigree when it comes to a possible future career as a jockey. Sixteen year old Aiden Lee is in the early stages of an apprenticeship to Tom Charlton at Randwick. Aiden’s father is Jason Lee, a former talented jockey who quit the saddle about eleven years ago with 250 winners on the board. His grandfather is David Lee who rode a healthy number of winners when apprenticed to Les Bridge in the 1970’s. David’s brothers Jim and Greg both enjoyed successful apprenticeships when indentured initially to Cec Rolls and later to Les Bridge. Tommy Smith supported both Lee boys very generously whenever he needed an apprentice on his horses. Aiden’s mother Tina just happens to be a granddaughter of the legendary George Moore, still widely regarded as the best jockey ever produced in Australia. Genetics can be wide of the mark on occasions, but you’d be totally gobsmacked if Aiden Lee isn’t an absolute natural on a racehorse.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE FOUR GOOD FEET CAN MAKE. GLORIOUS MOMENTS WINS FOURTH CITY RACE.

THE ADVENTURES OF A SHROPSHIRE LAD