Racing Welfare founder Sir David Sieff remembered at memorial service

Friends and family on Thursday gathered to pay tribute to Racing Welfare founder Sir David Sieff, recognising a man whose passion for racing and business acumen led to him successfully holding many prominent positions in the sport as well as a multitude of charitable posts.

Described as "helpful, kind and wise", Sieff, who died aged 80 in May, was a highly successful businessman and also worked tirelessly for racing charities, as well as chairing the National Lottery charities board.

Nicky Henderson and his wife Sophie, owner Erik Penser, the Duchess of Bedford and outgoing Jockey Club chief executive Simon Bazalgette were among those at the service at the Purcell Room on London's South Bank. His sons Simon and Jonathan and grandson Jack all gave readings.

The prologue from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, which describes the noble knight, was used as an epithet for Sieff, a man who was able to engage effortlessly with people from all walks of life.

Sieff worked as director of retailers for High Street giant Marks & Spencer for 25 years from 1972 to 1997, while within racing he deployed his talents in a variety of roles.

Sieff became president of the Racehorse Owners Association in 1975 and was also a member of the Jockey Club, Tote and British Horseracing Board. He served as chairman of his local course, Newbury, between 1998 and 2010.

One of Sieff's most notable achievements was bringing together the various Jockey Club charities under the Racing Welfare umbrella. He founded and then chaired the organisation between 1988 and 2000.

Brough Scott worked with Sieff during this period and said: “There have been plenty of higher profile racing leaders but for quiet, selfless, sympathetic, intelligent determination few have matched what David Sieff did in founding Racing Welfare.

"Working with him on the project as he unravelled and restitched the messy fabric of Jockey Club charities was one of the great privileges of my racing life. He was and should remain an inspiration."

As an owner, Sieff had horses in training with the Dunlop family, Emma Lavelle, Kim Bailey and Amanda Perrett. His colours were carried with distinction in recent years by the Harry Dunlop-trained Robin Of Navan, who won the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud in 2015.

Sieff is survived by his wife Jenny and sons Simon and Jonathan.

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