Laxon was born into racing as a member of a family involved since New Zealand’s earliest European settlement years. Growing up north of Hamilton, as a teenager he became an amateur rider and in his final raceday ride won the Duke of Gloucester Cup. After a carpentry apprenticeship, he was drawn fully into racing when he established a stable near Ngaruawahia, north of Hamilton. From there he first made his mark with the 1974 Great Northern Hurdle winner Cobland, who he owned with his late wife Jenny, before establishing his credentials as the trainer of major flat performers.
RACING DESK
King of Kranji: Cup-winning trainer dies Champion trainer Laurie Laxon pictured in Singapore in 2008. Picture: Bruno Cannatelli By Gilbert Gardiner, NZ Racing Desk 04:00am • 16 July 2021 Comments
Melbourne Cup winner and New Zealand Hall of Fame trainer Laurie Laxon has died.
Laxon, who prepared 1988 Cup winner Empire Rose, ruled supreme in Singapore prior to his retirement in 2017.
Laxon won nine training premierships in Singapore.
Champion trainer Lee Freedman and Victorian jockey Daniel Moor posted tributes on Twitter on Friday.
“Rest In Peace the undisputed King of Kranji, Laurie Laxon. Absolute legend of the sport,” Moor, who spent several years in Singapore prior to moving back to Melbourne, tweeted.