LEADING racehorse owner John Hales has died at the age of 85.

Hales, who made his money through the Golden Bear Toys company he co-founded in 1979, which went on to produce products from major children’s shows such as Teletubbies, Basil Brush, Thomas the Tank Engine and In The Night Garden, owned some champions of the turf.

Perhaps the best of them all was one of his first, the grey One Man, trained by the late Gordon Richards.

He won two King George VI Chases and reduced Hales to tears when, after several failures in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, he dropped in trip to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 1998.

Hales also won the Grand National with Neptune Collonges and secured further Champion Chase triumphs through Azertyuiop and Politologue.

He enjoyed some memorable days at Punchestown. Neptune Collonges won the Punchestown Gold Cup in 2007 and Noland won the John Durkan Chase in 2008.

In recent years, Hales has shared his ownership interests with Sir Alex Ferguson, Peter Done and Ged Mason, including last year’s Ryanair Chase winner Protektorat.

Trainer Paul Nicholls posted on X: “It is with great sadness to report that John Hales passed away last evening. A great man and a fantastic owner and friend for many people. Thoughts with his wife Pat and his wonderful family. He will be missed by so many in racing. RIP John.”