The Australian racing industry is mourning the incredibly sad loss of industry stalwart Deane Lester.
Deane was widely regarded as one of the most astute form analysts in the country, regularly supplying winners to punters nation-wide.
Earlier this year, the industry was devastated to learn that Deane had been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer, which he fought bravely over recent weeks.
He passed away peacefully on Thursday evening surrounded by his family, age 54.
Racing Queensland CEO Brendan Parnell was among the raft of industry participants to pay tribute to Deane.
“Deane was a stalwart of the racing industry in Australia, and has left an immeasurable imprint on so many of its participants over the last 30 years,” he said.
“Not just a form analyst, he was a mentor and teacher to so many trainers and jockeys, and would happily give anyone and everyone the time of day for the betterment of the sport.
“It’s an incredibly sad day for the industry losing one of our most popular characters, and we extend our condolences to his partner Leanne and mother Sandra.”
Deane was destined for a life in racing, initially eyeing a pathway into training before pursing a career in the media.
Deane grew to prominence following a more than two-decade career at RSN, where he quickly established himself as one of the nation’s great form students – earning the moniker of ‘World’s Greatest Tipster’.
Closer to home, you could hear Deane regularly on RadioTAB tipping winners and providing his second-to-none insight on a regular basis.
More recently, Deane was also a member of 7HorseRacing’s broadcast.
RQ extends its condolences to the Lester family.