Racing great seriously ill Stroke: Former VRC chairman Andrew Ramsden. Melbourne Cup-winning owner and long-time racing administrator Andrew Ramsden is dangerously ill after suffering a stroke in the committee room at Caulfield races on Wednesday. Those close to Ramsden were deeply concerned after he collapsed just minutes after the fourth race. He was in a serious but stable condition in hospital on Wednesday night. A former stockbroker, Ramsden has been one of the architects of change in racing administration over the past 15 years and during that time was chairman of the VRC. He has owned and raced horses for nearly 50 years, first combining with the late Geoff Murphy to win many major races, including the 1982 Melbourne Cup with Gurner's Lane. He was also a part-owner of Caulfield Cup winner Paris Lane. In recent years he has largely supported Flemington trainer Mike Moroney, and together they were successful in the 2000 Melbourne Cup with Brew. He currently has 10 horses in work with Moroney. "He has been a wonderful supporter to my stable and we have won some big races, including a Melbourne Cup," Moroney said. The VRC renamed the Duke Of Norfolk Stakes in his honour, the race now known as the Andrew Ramsden Stakes.