Singapore's first lady trainer Dragon dies

Singapore’s first woman trainer Leticia Dragon has died at the age of 50 on Nov 13 after a long illness.

Her death from liver failure comes around one month after the industry she loved and spent two decades in, also met its demise.

A former air stewardess, Dragon followed into the footsteps of her father Douglas in 2011, vowing to continue his legacy after he died at the age of 71 on Sept 25, 2014.

In a cruel twist, his daughter, then only 40, met the same fate 10 years later – and three years after she stopped training in 2021 – bringing an end to a racing dynasty that was born in the 60s through jockey-brothers Douglas and Chris (who died in a car accident).

Even though the once-vibrant Singapore racing fraternity has fallen silent since Oct 5, they all rose as one on social media to share the sad news about their former colleague and friend’s passing.

On the first morning of the wake at St Joseph Dying Aid Association (SJDAA) in Hougang on Nov 14, the room at the funeral parlour was still quiet, though.

Given her popularity, it was not long before they started showing up to pay their respects later in the evening. One of the mourners was former jockey Clement Chan Hua Swee, who was apprenticed to trainer KL Daniels, whose B trainer was then Douglas.

“I’m very sad as Leticia was still quite young,” said Chan, who now works at Equal Ark, an animal-assisted services company.

“She was a very brave girl to become Singapore’s first woman trainer. She broke away with convention in a male-dominated industry, and trained many winners.

“I remember how she and her brother Warren would sometimes come to the stables when they were kids. Warren was not interested at all, but Leticia would go and pet the horses, she loved them.

“Of course, when she started flying with Singapore Airlines, I didn’t see her, but later, she would come to the races to support her dad.”

Warren chuckled at Chan’s description of the sharp contrast in the horse racing interests between the two siblings, and certainly did not refute him.

But despite their different career paths later in life, the 55-year-old event lighting specialist always supported his little sister, and was proud of her record of 178 winners, including two Group 3’s, the 2012 Juvenile Championship with Rising Empire and the 2019 Jumbo Jet Trophy with Star Emperor.

“Leticia’s passion for horse racing has always been there since she was very young,” he said.

“She loved animals from a young age, we had dogs in our house in Serangoon Gardens. I remember how she always walked around carrying those little puppies.

“Her love of animals in the end turned into her career. I did help my dad walk horses a few times, but it wasn’t quite my cup of tea.

“Luckily, one of us had a passion for horse racing, as she could take over everything from my dad when she became a trainer.

“I wasn’t there when she won big races, but my mum would inform me. I was still very proud of what she’s achieved as a trainer. We would always celebrate her success over dinners and drinks.

“But besides her career, I’d like to remember her as a fun person, someone who enjoyed life to the fullest. She brought happiness and laughter to everyone she touched.”

One person fell under her charm a bit more than the others, former jockey and ex-boyfriend John Powell.

While the Australian booted home many winners for both father and daughter, they also became an item for a number of years before they eventually split up.

Powell, who now works as a racing commentator for Sky Racing in New South Wales, cherished the good memories they shared, even if their relationship was off and on.

“I still kept in touch with Leticia. We e-mailed each other two weeks ago, I already knew she wasn’t very well,” said Powell, who rode in Singapore for 18 years.

“I was very much in love with her. We were a great team for three years, she was a happy girl and we went on a lot of golf trips.

“But the pressure of racing, owners not paying got to her, strained our relationship. In the end, she had to hand up her licence.

“It’s very sad what’s happened to her. I still believe if she stopped training 10 years ago, she’d still be alive today.”

Warren, who also lost his wife to cancer in 2023, said it had been a tough journey as a caregiver, while supporting his mother Barbara.

“It’s just that everything happened so fast, right after Covid-19. Next thing you know, she’s gone to a better place,” said Warren.

“She got very sick in October 2023, was in and out of hospital.

“Her condition took a turn for the worse in the last month and she was warded at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

“My mum is of course devastated she lost her daughter, but at the same time, she feels better she is not suffering at this point of time and she is in a better place.”

The wake at SJDAA will go on until the funeral on Nov 16. A mass will be held at Church of St Francis Xavier at 3.30pm and the cremation will be held at Mandai at 5pm.

Dragon leaves behind her mother Barbara, brother Warren, nephew Ashton and her beloved bulldog Vinnie.

manyan@sph.com.sg