Racing community mourns Len 'Slick' Davies

By Jordan Gerrans

Jockeys in North Queensland often recall a famous tale about former rider Len Davies that summed up his two passions.

Davies was a top hoop in the region for decades before he retired in 2000 after stints being based at Mareeba and Innisfail.

The popular former jockey passed away last month.

He was 80 years of age. Davies was known by most as ‘Slick’.

While he loved his riding, he was also a passionate fisherman.

So much so that on one occasion, he rolled into the races and opened what he believed to be his bag with all his riding gear in the jockeys' room.

Instead, it was a bag filled with tackle and rods.

Retired jockey Robert Thompson, who rode more winners than any other hoop in Australian racing history, made an annual trip to Laura in Far North Queensland to throw in a line alongside Davies and Ronnie Ryan, among others.

Thompson would compete at Townsville and Cairns during the northern carnival and once the rich feature racing was over, he would head further north to see Davies.

“The fishing trips and all that, every carnival time, Ronnie Ryan would take me up and we'd go fishing to Laura and all that,” Thompson recalled.

“They were great times. 

"He was a champion fella, Slick, a champion bloke. He would do anything for you. He was a great fella. He loved his fishing and all that.”

Following Davies’ retirement in August of 2000, he eventually transitioned to being the caretaker at the Laura Amateur Turf Club in FNQ.

It was a perfect spot for the former rider to land in the latter stages of his life – he could go fishing whenever he wanted while he also looked after the local track.

Davies was largely credited for making the Laura track suitable to race following Cyclone Jasper in late 2023.

At one stage, the winning post was the only thing visible through the floodwaters covering the Laura Amateur Turf Club.

Davies and his band of loyal and committed volunteers ensured the track was safe to be raced on and the one-a-year-club were able to run their popular meeting in the middle of 2024.

At the time, Laura Turf Club secretary Jenni Sorensen paid homage to “Slick” and the army of volunteers who had banded together to get the track back on its feet.

“We have such good volunteers in this club - we have about 45 who come up at different times and different weekends,” Sorensen said a couple of years ago. 

“They just all help out to get the track and the surrounds up and running ready for race day.

“Slick runs it all and makes sure it’s all done properly.”

Fittingly, Davies’ final winner of his career was aboard Oh Romeo at Laura in July of 2000.

Racing And Sports’ statistics declare Davies collected more than 540 winners in the saddle while he also spent a period of time training a team of his own.

Former jockey and current Mareeba trainer Jenny Ball described Davies as a ‘very good rider’.

He won a host of feature Cup and sprint races in North Queensland.

Fellow former hoop Ronnie Ryan was told at a young age from his boss to keep an eye on Davies as he was the type of rider that he needed to emulate if he was to make it as a top hoop.

“He was a very, very capable rider,” Ryan said.

“There wasn't too many better than him. 

"I remember when I started off, he was about 11 years older than me and my old boss, Jack Wilson, said I needed to follow Slick as a senior rider and he’d help me when I was a kid.

“He was a very genuine person and a good rider. 

"He was very, very competitive. He won Innisfail Cups, he won Newmarkets in Cairns and races like the Johnstone River Handicap at Innisfail.

“He was a very good horseman and not only a good jockey, but he could train a horse, too.”

Veteran former jockeys Thompson and Ryan, among others, regularly headed to Laura for a fishing trip with Davies.

In recent years, Davies had also taken a few current hoops under his wing with a line in his hand.

Ryan Wiggins, Ashley Butler and Jason Taylor spent a few days in the region last year for a trip.

“He was a good person, a genuine bloke,” Ryan said.

“He'd help anyone and was a good person. I don't think anyone had anything bad to say about him.

“He was a caretaker there for years at Laura and did a very good job with their track. He loved the bush.

“Once the carnival was over every year, we'd go up and spend three or four days with Lenny and go fishing with him and things like that.”

Davies’ funeral service will be at Mareeba Memorial Chapel, 45 Constance Street, Mareeba on Thursday February 5 from 1pm.

Racing Queensland extends its condolences to the Davies family.