The passing of Nothin' Leica Dane has touched a chord with our audience including Bobby Barter, who had a soft spot for the Victoria Derby hero of 1995 and wrote this poem after staying as a guest of the late Martin Hawcroft and his wife Jenny at Byerley Stud in 2011.
NOTHIN' LEICA DANE
THERE WAS A STALLION FAST
COULD RUN OF WORLDWIDE RACIN' FAME
WITH EARS PRICKED BACK – RAN LIKE THE WIND
CALLED NOTHIN' LEICA DANE
HE'D SLIDE INTO THEM STARTIN' STALLS
RUN SPRINTS SHORT STUFF AND UP –
THEN SPREAD HIS WINGS TO DISTANCE FAR
RUN 2 ND IN THE CUP
HIS HEART FOR RACIN' KNEW NO END
FROM BARRIER TO BOX ONCE
THAT STARTER YELLED – 'THEY'RE OFF'
NO WAY HIS HEART WOULD STOP
AND WHILE HE'S NO MORE 'ROUND THESE PARTS
HIS NAME IT LINGERS YET
ON LIPS OF RACIN' GIRLS AND BLOKES
THE FAMOUS DANE - YOU BET
SO WHEN YER TALKIN' HORSES MATE
YOU BLOODY BET NO FEAR
WHEN HORSE BLOKES GATHER IN THE BAR
TO BET AND HAVE A BEER
WHEN STARTER'S GATES ARE SHUT 'N LOCKED
WHEN PULSES BEAT THE MOST
WHEN BOOKIES SHOUT THE ODDS OUT LOUD
WHEN HORSES PASS THE POST
WHEN JOCKEYS PULL THE WHIP 'N WINK
WHEN RANDWICK'S RISE APPROACHES
WHEN LADIES WEAR NICE HATS 'N SHOES
THE HORSEYOU'LL HEAR THE MOST OF
WHEN SPEED T' BURN AND STOUT OF HEART
NO RISK YOU'LL HEAR HIS NAME
PHAR LAP, TULLOCH, TODMAN - SURE
AND NOTHIN' LEICA DANE
BOBBY BARTER