Frenchman Leon Flavien first caught the British racegoer's eye when finishing second to Avila (M Beary) on Carmague ll in the 1949 Epsom Oaks run on Wednesday, 1 June.
The winner of well over 2,000 races, Leon was born on July 5, 1923, and the big races which fell to him included the Grand Prix de Paris (twice) and the Prix de Diane, plus almost every other major race.
Leon won in England at Ascot and Doncaster.