Popular Victorian owner and breeder Phil Sly was bidding on horses parading at the Inglis Easter sale on Wednesday but he lost his long battle with cancer on Thursday morning.
Sly died on his 57th birthday.
Sly owned the multiple Group I winner Mosheen and Myer Classic winner Politeness among a racing portfolio that was largely split between the John Sadler and Robert Smerdon stables.
"I spoke to him every day this week about buying yearlings here," Smerdon said. "He was bidding on horses yesterday over the phone so his passing was sudden in that respect.
"He was flying up here today to have dinner tonight to have dinner for his birthday."
ATC Australian Oaks hopeful Chabaud will carry Sly's blue, white and red colours 48 hours after her owner's passing at Randwick on Saturday.
Sly refused to let his fight dampen his passion for racing and sport, signing himself out of hospital more than once to see his horses race after deciding a thoroughbred would provide better therapy than medical science.
The successful businessman was tall in stature while his big voice, larger than life personality and his positive outlook to fighting the disease he called "the grub" drew people to him, including Sadler, Smerdon and top Japanese owner and breeder Katsumi Yoshida.
Sly was so highly regarded that he was one of the few foreigners to earn the right to own and race horses in Japan.
"He was one of those characters that would bring people around him," Smerdon said. "He loved racing them and backing them.
"He was the best loser. He'd have an odds-on favourite get beat and he'd say 'oh well, let's go and have lunch'.
"His illness gave him perspective. It gave him a positive outlook. It was like buying yearlings extended his life and he was always buying young horses.
"When you spoke to him, you never got the impression the end was near because he was so upbeat."
Sly was always keen to help others, devoting much of his time and resources to the cancer research organisation Pancare, raising money for the disease that also claimed the life of his first wife.
Sly is survived by his partner and two daughters.
