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  • matt   1 second ago
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Mount Mist and Doctor Mick

Harness & Greyhounds
I wonder if any on this forum would recognise the name Dr M.S. Lekias (Michael but known to all as "Mick"). Fortunately for me, 'Uncle" Mick as he was known to to all of us, was our family GP for decades and decades, operating from his surgery on Albany Highway in Bentley, opposite Diesel Motors. His name features in this morning's Death Notices in The West.

There were many strings to Mick's bow.....his father, later to become a famous seafood restauranter, started off life in WA as the proprietor of the Swan Cafe in Northam in 1929, and then onto the Sydney Cafe when they shifted to Perth......two of the sons went down the food pathway (The Oyster Bar, Simon's etc), the other two, John and Mick, down the medicine pathway. John became a famous spine surgeon and Mick became a hugely loved and admired GP. He was also the East Perth Footy Club doctor around the time of Polly, he was Doctor to many of the trotting fraternity from both sides of the river, a keen fan of GP and any where else a race was run and a consultation in his surgery nearly always reverted to a study of the form guide for the Saturday night trots once the prescription for Bott's Chemist was written. Is it worth mentioning there was a very handy SP shop behind the barbers not more than 250 yards from the surgery?

Anyone down on their luck (our family included) frequently received generous largesse (no Medicare in those days) in the form of 'don't worry about the bill, just do as I say and get well." He became an owner and his best horse, Mount Mist, raced through the classes to Free For All company in the hands of Alan Woodworth and Phil Coulson, and a visit to the Lekias Family Home always included a showing of the Navy Cup won by Mount Mist at Richmond Raceway in 1968, ploughing through the mud for Phil on a shocker of a night weather wise. My dad was the timekeeper and Mick put him through the 3rd degree questioning the very slow mile rate. "They don't pay any more for a win in fast time Mick" was the conversation ender.

Mick was also the Mayor of Canning for years and years and was afforded Freeman Status (Keys to the City) for his service. We are not sure how old he was ....discussions this morning suggested he was 90 plus.....but he will be fondly remembered. When a family member was in the latter stages of a terminal illness, Mick would attend at the drop of a hat, a famous visit at 3.30am in the morning to administer pain relief was highlighted by his attire......pyjamas and dressing gown offset with leather shoes and socks and his leather doctors case full of administrations. I am afraid that house visits are a thing of the past nowadays but nothing was too much trouble for Uncle Mick. Many old time trotting blokes tipped out at trackwork without two bob to their name would attest to that.

Comments

  • Saw Mount Mist at Bob Pollocks stables at Kenwick when brought up from Bunbury by George Sortas for Bob to sort out-a little crazy at first would head for the exit gates and hit the fence however eventually ended up very good little horse

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  • savethegamesavethegame    2,786 posts
    Remember George Sortras having a real good horse Called Magic Embrace ----think they couldn't get on the plane to go inter's in NZ and was scratched from series

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  • freodockersfreodockers    2,667 posts
    Remember George Sortras locks hanging out the back of his helmet.

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  • JayJayJayJay    7,629 posts

    Saw Mount Mist at Bob Pollocks stables at Kenwick when brought up from Bunbury by George Sortas for Bob to sort out-a little crazy at first would head for the exit gates and hit the fence however eventually ended up very good little horse



    Never knew George Sortrashad him early days @msmcbride78 but a lot of Uncle Mick's early horses were with Bob. He was bred by Norm Duncan and the mare Meadow Mist was a pretty good producer. Meadow Hall and Anthony Mist were full brothers, I think Norm Grant had one or both of them.

    The horse grew a leg in the wet and he had a great run leading up to his Navy Cup win as the winter of 1968 was very wet and he thrived on the bog tracks. He only had one start in the Summer, February 24 1968 when 2nd to Urosevic for Jim Schrader and Nancy Watson (some great old names coming up) and never raced again until April 6th in a 2.20 front beating Civilian and Malcolms Prince with Woody on board. He then ran 2nd the next week to Tudawalli (Max Johnson). Just the one run in May 18th (7th to Jetline and Slick Maid) in a heat of the Autumn Gift from 24 yards behind. Another 3 weeks and down came the rain....he won a heat of the Winter Gift on June 5th, beating Contravis and Dels Wonder and a week later, he ploughed through the mud to win the $2,000 Winter Gift Final, beating Claremont Lady and Howfast rating 2.14.6. In July, he ran 2nd to the good horse Comet Again (Ted Breese off 24 yards) in a 2.17 pace and 3rd to Dels Wonder (Bob Pollock) and Gainstar (Leo Keys) on a stinker of a night, Dels Wonder rated 2.15.6. He won another to qualify for the 2.16 front of the Navy Cup and with Coulson on board, trudged through the mud down at Fremantle for the win. Woody drove him to all his other metro wins, 13 in total, 9 at GP and 2 at Fremantle. 
  • JayJayJayJay    7,629 posts
    Magic Embrace and George Sortras.....George held 4 separate licenses  at one stage.....harness trainer, harness driver, gallops trainer and jockey. And I think it was the 1979 series in NZ that they got him to Melbourne but he played up loading in Melbourne for the flight to Christchurch (Rondels Inters) and was taken out. He was a stallion (by Magic Mint out of Royal Embrace) A chestnut, raced in white harness, a little fella and was a real handful at times. His career is very interesting......a late starter so to speak and one of those horses that had a very tight country front (2.18) before he won his qualie as a 7 year old.

    George handled him early days and in 1976/77, he won at Bridgetown (off 40 metres), Bunbury, Bunbury again (heat and final deal) and at Wagin (Great Southern Derby night when Metric Flame beat Indian Chant) before he won his Qualie at Fremantle for Bob Pollock on July 15 1977....he was a fortnight off being officially an 8 year old..... and followed it up in a 2.21 front beating Oxford and Leoncavallo a week later . That season he had 20 starts for 6 wins and $7605 in stakes.

    As an 8 year old, he won his 2.20 front on August 19, 1977 for Rod Starkie, again beating Leoncavallo and King Richard. On September 9th, he started a picket fence for Bob winning 3 in a row beating Graduate Boy, Dornock and Johnny Toledo in successive starts. he ran 2nd to Annas Ann in the Navy Cup, 2nd to Shanagar in a FFA and contested the pacing Cup running 5th to Steelo in a heat. heading into 1978, he was 3rd to Lolly Poppins, 2nd to Another Eden, 2nd to Windy Jean in a Stratton Cup, 2nd to Thor Rise in an Easter Cup, 2nd to Windy Jean again in the Lord Mayors Cup (April 7th) before winning the George Booth Memorial on April 15th before spelling. 23 starts, 5 wins, 5 seconds (in top company) and $25,745 in the bank.

    That was probably his best year but not to be denied, as a 9 year old, first up over 2800m with george back in the cart on August 25th, he wins the $10,000 Ansett Cup beating Imalulu and Graduate Boy. A masterful training and driving performance. Tapered off a bit after that but still 3rd to Virgil Queen in the Brennan Cup, 3rd to Annas Ann in the 3200m Marathon (Coulson's only drive on Anna, how tough was that mare?), 8th to Steelo in the pacing Cup Final and 3rd to Virgil Queen and Young Robbie in April 1979 at Fremantle. Spelled agai, he reappeared first up on October 19th 1980 as a 10 year old with George driving and knocked off Oxford and Adios Ken first up in a FFA and won again 6 weeks later beating remit and Rio Butler in a FFA. Last placing in his career was a 3rd to Windy Jean....he must have either hated the sight of her or wanted badly to give her a good rogering on the way past.......in the Bill Nevard Memorial on March 7th 1981. Had a few more starts the next season before retiring to stud. Threw a few winners ....Missies Magic, Come On Magic......but it was an old and diminishing colonial bloodline that was in its death throes and not even feisty Magic Embrace or the canny George Sortras could revive it.
  • sonnysonny    1,054 posts
    Hi Jay Jay, Dr. Leakis delivered my wife's first daughter in 1966. She ran into him a few years back at Jan Olivieri's place a few years back.. She( my wife ) is cousin to Kenny Stanley father in law to Colin Brown...

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  • bookieloverbookielover    2,623 posts
    JayJay, 
    Your original post, mentioned, Simons. I assume, you are referring to the  seafood restaurant, that I think was located in Northbridge.

    I ate there on my very first visit to Perth for business in the beginning of 1989, and the food was great. In the ensuing two years, I ate there very time I returned to Perth. I finished doing business in Perth at the end of 1991. 

    I hadn't returned to Perth, until about 2005, I think it was, when I came on a holiday with my wife,and decided to book Simon's for dinner, only to discover it was closed. I happened to drive past the building, and it looked to be in a state of disrepair. Would you happen to know why it closed and what happened to the property?

    Your description of Doctor Mick, is a direct comparison with our old family G.P. He grew up with my dad, and upon graduation became our extended families, G.P. He looked after my wife for 50 years, and, as you describe, if she was feeling really bad at 4.00 in the morning, he would come straight away as soon as I called, in his pyjamas and dressing gown and the worst slippers I have ever seen on a bloke. It did help matters that he lived around the corner from our place. He wouldn't bet on the sun rising, and passed away last year aged 94.


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  • JayJayJayJay    7,629 posts
    Yes, BL, Simon's was the best seafood place in Northbridge, was owned by Nick Lekias, one of Uncle Mick's nephews I think. Many family birthdays celebrated there. Such a great family.....my old Mum's 60th birthday, large table of family/friends....fresh oysters, crayfish etc etc....went to pay the bill. Not a problem, all covered, you are family, just attend to the drinks bill, the food is on the house....the lot. Just brilliant, am sure Uncle Mick had something to do with that.  I don't know what happened to the restaurant in the end but it's a tough game and Northbridge has changed, for the worst in my opinion.

    Those old GP's were like family, and unlike your GP, Uncle Mick would bet on two flies landing on your arm. Wonderful obituary in The West Australian this week described him perfectly.
  • SLIPPERGOLDENSLIPPERGOLDEN    7,741 posts
    Don't know if it was Mick but there was a Lekias ear nose and throat specialist in the seventies when removi9ng tonsils and adnoids was the craze
  • JayJayJayJay    7,629 posts
    No, a relative...Mick was a deliverer of babies and,foremost a GP and confidante to almost everyone in the Bentley community and surrounds.  However, brother John was a specialist back surgeon and lots of offspring in the extended family followed John and Mick into medicine. I think Roger Lekias still operates the GP clinic in Albany Highway.
  • Ivorytrunkey86Ivorytrunkey86    204 posts
    By the sounds of it simons went broke giving out free food.

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