Jack Leach served as an officer in the York & Lancaster Regiment during WWII.
As America did not officially enter the war until 11th December 1941, productions in Hollywood continued so Fred was working.
‘Broadway Melody of 1940’ was a film about an unsuccessful dance team who rose to fame after dancing with a Broadway star. Eleanor Powell was Fred’s dance partner in this film. Although they only performed together once, they had a huge cultural impact.‘Begin the Beguine’ is considered to be the greatest dance of all time. You can watch it here.
Deciding the colours your jockey will wear is an important part of being a racehorse owner. Here Fred is discussing which colours he should pick. Dark blue, purple and yellow are all put forward.
He eventually chose dark blue with a yellow sash and red cap. These once belonged to Henry Worthington Bell, who was a stock broker and the uncle of Fred's wife, Phyllis.
Fred was incredibly proud of his racing colours.
In 1971 David Niven wrote of Fred Astaire, "He is also a racehorse aficionado who owned a winner of the Hollywood Gold Cup.
Early one Sunday he called me. ‘I’ve done a terrible thing – I don’t know what possessed me, but at four o’clock this morning,
I got out of bed and drove all over Beverly Hills, painting the city mail boxes with my racing colours.’”
The reproduction of Fred Astaire’s colours have been kindly donated to NHRM by Al Basti Equiworld. The silks are currently on display at the National Horseracing Museum.
From August 1944 to the end of the war, Fred travelled around Europe on a USO (United Service Organisation) tour. He was unable to sign up as he was too old and had children. Instead, he played his part by entertaining the troops.
The tour took him to places like France, Belgium and England. He even performed for a crowd of 5000 in the gardens at the Palace of Versailles.
After the war, Jack and Fred were once again able to reunite in London in 1946, as seen in the image where they are wearing their uniforms.
‘Trip’ was the nickname for Triplicate, Fred’s most famous and successful racehorse. His most notable win was the 1946 Hollywood Gold Cup, where he took home $100,000. You can watch Triplicate’s win here.
Jock Jessop refers to Job Dean Jessop, a successful American jockey who was a regular rider of Triplicate. In March 1946, just before this letter was written, Triplicate and Jessop won the San Juan Capistrano Handicap at Santa Anita Park, California.
Triplicate won a handful of races in 1947 and retired to stud in Kentucky in 1949.
‘The Barkleys of Broadway’ was the final film that Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made together. The film was meant to star Judy Garland, however she fell ill and was unable to continue with production.
Ginger Rogers starred in Hollywood musicals from the 1930s. The partnership of ‘Fred and Ginger’ was one of the best known in film history.Over the span of seventeen years, they starred in ten productions, including ‘Swing Time’.Actor Katharine Hepburn said of their relationship, “He gave her class and she gave him sex appeal.”
Hollywood Park in Los Angeles was a hugely popular racecourse. It was a hotspot for famous faces, including Bing Crosby, Barbara Stanwyck and Fred Astaire.
Tragically, a fire broke out in May 1949, causing $5 million worth of damage. It took just over a year to rebuild. While the refurbishment went ahead, Santa Anita Park in nearby Arcadia, California, took the ‘reins’ for the racing season.
Hollywood Park closed in December 2013. The site where the former racetrack once stood is now a residential area and sports complex. It is one of the locations for the 2028 Olympics.
A small yet incredible racehorse, Hyperion had a huge impact on the racing world. Between 1932-1933 he had six major wins, including the 1933 Epsom Derby and Doncaster St Leger.
After his retirement in 1935, Hyperion went to stud and was the leading sire in 1955 when this letter was written. Hyperion died in 1960, having lived for 30 years.He is still a presence in Newmarket, with his skeleton on display at the National Horseracing Museum and a stunning statue on the High Street at the front of the Jockey Club Rooms.
‘Funny Face’ was a musical comedy about an unlikely fashion model, released in 1957. Fred starred alongside Audrey Hepburn but the film initially had limited success.
It was not until the release of another of Hepburn’s films, ‘My Fair Lady’, in 1964, that there was a sudden demand by audiences to see ‘Funny Face’. It was reissued in cinemas that year, drawing large crowds.
Jack Leach was a successful jockey who won the July Cup in 1925 and 1926 and the 2000 Guineas Stakes in 1927; all at Newmarket. From 1930-1952, he trained horses including Nick The Greek, for Fred Astaire, at Graham Place.
Jack Leach retired from training and wrote for the sporting press. In 1961, he published his first book ‘Sods I Have Cut on the Turf’. He described the world of racing and introduced the reader to many famous characters, including his good friend Fred Astaire.
Jack was a writer for The Observer and Sporting Life and often wrote articles about major races, including the 1969 Grand National.
Fearless Fred was a favourite to win but he fell at the 4th fence. Highland Wedding won the race, however news of the result does not appear to have reached Fred Astaire in America.
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