Champion Australian jockey Damien Oliver will bring the curtain down on his illustrious career at the end of the year.
The 51-year-old hoop began riding in his home state of Western Australia before he took a chance as a 16-year-old and moved to Victoria to further his career.
He is now immortalised as one of Australia’s best jockeys, holding the Australian record for Group One wins at 128, with his first coming aboard the Lee Freedman-trained Submariner in 1990 at Caulfield in the Show Day Cup (now the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes).
Oliver also had plenty of success in New Zealand where he won the 1995 Wellington Cup (Ed), 1998 New Zealand Derby (So Casual), Oaks Classic (Zonda), and 2010 Auckland Cup (Zavite).
While his career highlight reel is vast, his defining moment came in 2002 when winning aboard Media Puzzle in the Melbourne Cup following the tragic passing of his brother Jason, which inspired the making of the 2011 film ‘The Cup’.
“Those circumstances you wouldn’t wish upon anyone, but I am glad I was able to pull that Melbourne Cup off in memory of my brother,” Oliver said.
“He was such a big influence on my career and it is a great legacy for him.”
Oliver is looking forward to riding at Melbourne’s Spring Carnival one last time before seeing out his career in his home state in December.
“I still feel like I have a bit left in the tank to have one last crack at a spring (carnival) and then finishing up in Perth sounded right to me, where it all started,” he said.
“I will go through the spring and then finish up at the end of the Perth racing carnival in December.
“It is where it all started for me. As a young kid, coming from a racing family, I never thought I would have the success I did. When I look back, I have to pinch myself.”
After more than three decades in the saddle, Oliver is looking forward to life after racing and pursuing another career path in the new year.
“It is a big part of your life, I have done it for 35 years,” he said.
“It is a way of life and it will be a change for me. I am looking forward to what is ahead in the new year.
“I have got some opportunities that have already come up for me and I am excited about what lies ahead.”