Neville Layt had two unwavering passions in life - family and horse racing.
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They were inextricably linked through a career spanning six decades as a jockey and a trainer, weaving a tapestry of unimaginable success and heart-breaking tragedy which defined the life of the man known as 'Nifty'.
He was diminutive in stature, even for a jockey, but his death on Tuesday has ripped a colossal hole in the horse racing industry, both in Queanbeyan where he was inducted as just the sixth member of the club's Hall Of Fame in 2015, and across NSW.
Tributes have flowed for the 76-year-old husband of Barbara, and father of Christopher, Adrian, Nadia and Jamie.
Layt was part of the furniture at Queanbeyan. Every morning Joe Cleary would look up the road to his training neighbour - all parted grey hair, and weather-beaten facial features sucking back on a cigarette.
"He'd pull me into line whenever I needed to be pulled into line," Cleary said..
"He was very good to me, and he was a straight shooter I suppose is the best way to sum him up. If he had to tell you to get stuffed, he would."
Cleary spoke to Layt on Sunday just 48 hours before he succumbed to his cancer battle in Canberra. Even from his hospital bed, Layt was still making sure his talented galloper Redicon was worked properly ahead of Saturday's Highway Handicap at Randwick.
That race has been renamed in Layt's honour, a gesture which will be mimicked by Canberra on Friday, and Queanbeyan on Saturday.
Jockeys at those meetings will also wear black armbands. 'Nifty' will no doubt be looking down and wondering what all the fuss is about.
Leading jockey Tommy Berry struck up a partnership with Layt 10 years ago when he was booked to ride a speedy filly named Karuta Queen.
Berry visited Layt five weeks ago upon hearing he was ill.
"He never made a fuss about anything, I remember asking how long he had left and he said he didn't want to know, he just wanted to move on and live whatever he had left of his life with his friends and family and his horses," Berry said.
"He didn't want anyone feeling sorry for him. He's very proud of his kids, very proud of his wife and his family, he always wore his heart on his sleeve, always stuck up for what he believed in and always worked hard to get the best out of his horses who he just had a beautiful association with."
Layt was always a master horseman. He rode in Sydney then moved south, quickly endearing himself to Frank Cleary who was the leading trainer in these parts at the time.
"In the old days the jockeys had to ride a lot of work to get rides, not like today when they just turn up and the managers have done all the work for them," he said.
"Nifty was always here, he'd turn up for trackwork and we'd work out which ones we were going to take where."
Less than a decade later, Layt had shifted into the training game himself after a badly broken leg forced him to retire as a jockey.
People took note when he started bringing stable star Kenquest to Sydney. Kenquest won six times in town, and helped established Layt in the NSW training ranks.
His sons Adrian and Jamie started riding for him, before tragedy struck.
It was Queanbeyan Cup day, and Layt had ducked off to grab a horse from his stables, where he found his son Jamie had taken his own life.
"That shattered him," Frank Cleary said.
"I think that brought him closer to the family he did have. Life's not all rosy.
"He was a tough little bugger. You've just got to tough it out and he toughed it out right to the end."
Layt considered walking away from the game after Jamie's death, especially since Barbara could no longer bring herself to go to the races, but in typical fashion he picked himself up and rebuilt his life.
Along came Sarthemare, who won the 2008 Black Opal Stakes as a maiden paying 50-1. Then a $30,000 rugged chestnut filly with a striking blonde main and crooked blaze landed in his stable.
At her fourth start Karuta Queen went to the Gold Coast and dished out a galloping lesson under Berry in the $2m Magic Millions Classic. Best of all, she brought Barbara back to the races.
Layt's filly came back in the spring and ran second to Black Caviar in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes.