Life’s a Beach: Painful yet inspiring tale of a family’s battle with cancer and an owner’s favourite horse

IT was Melbourne Cup Day last year when heartbroken Tracey Lees knew she had lost her beloved husband.

Special horse: Cylinder Beach (right) makes his winning run in the Gunsynd Classic at Doomben. Picture: Grant Peters, Trackside Photography

THE rest of the nation was celebrating Melbourne Cup Day last year when heartbroken Tracey Lees knew she had lost her beloved husband.

Chris Lees’ horse Cylinder Beach romped in by seven lengths at Doomben but the former commercial insurance manager was dying of brain cancer.

“Chris was in the Wesley Palliative Care unit by then and we were watching the race on television,’’ Tracey Lees said.

“His mum, dad and I were all screaming and jumping up and down after the win.

“I looked over to Chris and I could tell he wasn’t aware of what was going on. I knew I’d lost him then, at that very moment I knew all my efforts to save him hadn’t worked.

“For me that was the moment I knew he would die. It was heartbreaking because out of any of us, he was the one who had wanted to see his horse win.

“It was his absolute dream and then, just as it was happening, he wasn’t able to be part of it.’’

Chris Lees died soon after, but a piece of him lives on through Cylinder Beach, which he named after his favourite holiday spot on Stradbroke Island.

Good times: Family friends Christine Finn and Dr Mark Schramm with Chris and Tracey Lees.

Racing was Lees’ passion and he designed the racing colours of Cylinder Beach which he explained as: “Maroon for Queensland, gold for Straddy beaches and four ­diamonds in the shape of a ­diamond, our family.’’

Chris would look forward to getting out to Eagle Farm every week or so to see how his favourite horse was doing. I think it was one of the things that really kept him going amid all the tough medical stuff. It was his absolute dream to have a horse like Cylinder Beach and Desleigh made his dream come true.

Tracey Lees

“Chris bought the horse from the Karaka Sales in New Zealand, because he knew that he needed a good distraction to all the medical problems he was having,’’ Tracey Lees said.

“We decided that living in the moment and not having his illness take more away from our lives than we would let it was key to living as well as we could.

“Desleigh Forster is a gifted trainer and she encouraged us out to the stables to watch Cylinder Beach’s progress.

“Chris would look forward to getting out to Eagle Farm every week or so to see how his favourite horse was doing.

“I think it was one of the things that really kept him going amid all the tough medical stuff. It was his absolute dream to have a horse like Cylinder Beach and Desleigh made his dream come true.’’

Chris Lees battled his illness for 18 months and there is deep sadness whenever Cylinder Beach runs.

The late Chris Lees with Cylinder Beach during his battle with brain cancer. Picture: Adam Armstrong

Cylinder Beach, an impressive winner on resuming last month, is equal favourite for both Saturday’s Rough Habit Plate at Doomben and next month’s Group 1 Queensland Derby.

Cylinder Beach runs in Chris Lees’ honour and Tracey admits she does not quite know how to feel.

“Owning Cylinder Beach is a tender spot for me. It’s the final cruel twist in a very cruel tale,’’ she said.

“I know Chris wouldn’t want me to feel that way about it. He would want me to experience the joy that he so keenly did from owning this horse. I know that and I am really trying to do that for him. Chris made the very best of the worst possible situation and he made sure his kids ­always came first.

Trainer Desleigh Forster with Cylinder Beach. Picture: Grant Peters, Trackside Photography

“He bowled cricket balls from his wheelchair and went to every cricket match he could get to for our son. He sat watching our daughter laugh and play.’’

If Cylinder Beach wins on Saturday, there won’t be a dry eye at Doomben.

And you can bet Forster and connections will look to the heavens and pay tribute to the man who should have been there to see it.

Tracey Lees is a passionate advocate for curebraincancer.org.au which is raising funds to fight the disease that kills 1200 Australians every year.

Originally published as Life’s a Beach: Painful yet inspiring tale of a family’s battle with cancer and an owner’s favourite horse