Laurie Laxon to return to New Zealand

Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Laurie Laxon is to return to New Zealand from Singapore where he has been for the past 17 years.

Laxon, who has won nine Singapore premierships and more than 1250 races at Kranji Racecourse, will be the private trainer for Sir Peter Vela.

“I’ll probably be home by September and train from my farm, just for Peter Vela,” Laxon told NZ Racing Desk.

“I’ve been in Singapore 17 years and it was just time. I’ve had a good innings up here and enjoyed a really good income.

“I’m really proud of what I’ve been able to achieve here.”

Laxon has won every feature race on the Singapore calendar at least once and has prepared the Singapore Horse of the Year five times.

Among his big wins before his Singapore move, Laxon trained Empire Rose to win the 1988 Melbourne Cup and Romanee Conti to win the 1993 Hong Kong International Cup for Vela and his late brother Philip.

Laxon will return to his Maungatautari farm in Waikato where Stephen Ramsay and Julia Ritchie are currently training.

Ramsay and Ritchie will relocate to a new property owned by Sir Peter and continue to train for the Pencarrow Stud owner.