Legendary jockey Damien Oliver has introduced his retirement, and opened up on his emotional 2002 Melbourne Cup win simply days after his older brother’s demise.
Oliver mirrored on his well-known victory on the again of Media Puzzle after saying his intention to retire following the completion of this 12 months’s spring carnival.
The WA native took out three Melbourne Cups throughout his illustrious profession, however none have been extra iconic than the 2002 win the place he saluted to the skies in honour of his brother Jason, who had tragically died after falling from a horse per week earlier.
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“Once you get contained in the rails, it is simply you and the horse, and also you’re simply concentrating on what you are doing,” Oliver recalled of the race.
“That race simply labored out completely for me.
“I did not realise on the time what kind of occasion and the feelings it will stir, however I used to be so glad I used to be capable of do it and pull it off as a result of it was a fantastic legacy to my brother, who was an enormous inspiration to me in turning into a jockey and the success I have been.”
Oliver admitted that racing had “taken just a little bit away from me” when reflecting on the deaths of his brother and his father Ray, who had additionally died following a race fall in 1975.
A glance again at each Melbourne Cup winner since 2000
”I achieved a lot greater than I ever anticipated to as a younger child leaving Perth,” he mentioned.
“It is a sport and a way of life that is served me so effectively over an extended time period and I really feel fairly fortunate that it is given me every part I’ve obtained.
“It is taken just a little bit away from me as effectively – a father and a brother – nevertheless it’s actually been actually good to me as effectively.”
Oliver has ridden 128 Group 1 winners throughout his profession, and took out each the 1995 and 2013 Melbourne Cups to go together with his 2002 win.
He has additionally claimed 4 Caulfield Cups and two Cox Plates and has gained over $256 million in prizemoney all through his profession.
”I’ve by no means needed to place myself up on a pedestal and I am going to all the time respect the riders that I am using round as a result of it is not the jockey that will get the job accomplished, it is the horse,” he mentioned.
“You have to do it collectively. They’re arduous to seek out, so if you do get one, you treasure it.”
