Sad Passing of Jon Kelly

Tara Madgwick - Sunday Jul 26

Prominent US businessman and well known bloodstock investor Jon S Kelly has died aged 84.

An owner of horses all around the world with such trainers as Jessica Harrington, Bob Baffert, Richard Mandella and in Australia, Gai Waterhouse, he made his name in radio and television, founding the Kelly Broadcasting Company.

He was also successful in banking and real estate owning since the early 1960s with his most successful being multiple US Group I winner Borrego.

He was best known in Australia for a string of high priced purchases from the Magic Millions Yearling Sale in conjunction with Reg Inglis and Paul Frampton that included the 2018 sale-topper, Faretti, an I Am Invincible colt bought for $2million.

Jon Kelly at the Gold Coast in 2018 with his sale-topper. - image Magic Millions

His green, white and red colours were most recently carried with success by Cayenne Pepper, who was second in the Group I Irish Oaks is now raced by his wife Sarah.

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