 The race to be crowned the Champion Group One Jockey of the Season turned out to
be a two horse race, but at the end it was Melbourne’s number one hoop Damien Oliver
who was the victor.Oliver was presented with his
award at the Australian Racing Champins night at Crown Palladium in Melbourne just moments
ago.
With Group One wins from a host of gallopers including
Northerly, Don Eduardo, Amalfi, Defier, Falvelon, Mr. Murphy and Tully Thunder, Oliver
finished the season with nine Group One winners.
As well as nine winners, he also rode eleven Group Two
winners, six at Group Three level and 14 listed events - for a total of 40 stakes races.
Oliver won the Victoria Derby (Amalfi), Queen Elizabeth
Stakes (Defier), Australian Derby (Don Eduardo), Doomben 10,000 (Falvelon), Eat Well Live
Well Cup (Mr. Murphy), Australasian Oaks (Tully Thunder) and thanks to Northerly, the
Underwood Stakes, Yalumba Stakes and Cox Plate.
 He also won the JJ Liston
Stakes, Ascot Vale Stakes, JF Feehan Stakes, Norman Robinson Stakes, Moet & Chandon
Champagne Stakes, Sandown Guineas, Sandown Classic, Challenge Stakes, Shannons Classic and
St George Stakes at Group Two level.
A multiple Scobie Breasley medal winner, Oliver scored a
runaway win in this season's Melbourne premiership - even after sitting out for at least
two months toward the end of the season.
Best known for linking with the older horses like
Northerly, Mr. Murphy, Sky Heights and Defier, Oliver did win feature races on
two-year-olds including Dama De Noche, Blur, Cyberiad and Pillaging.
 He also teamed up with
some of the country's best three-year-olds. Among them were Amalfi, Grey Song, Our Kazz,
Moon Dragon, Don Eduardo, Distinctly Secret, Tully Thunder, Warm Smytzer, North Boy, La
Lagune, Galroof and Night Chaser.
Scott Seamer rose rapidly through the ranks and he had an
amazing season which netted seven Group One wins including the Caulfield Cup, Melbourne
Cup and The BMW on Ethereal, the Golden Slipper on Calaway Gal, the Cadbury Guineas with
Dash for Cash and the Mackinnon Stakes with La Bella Dama.
Interestingly Seamer only won 15 stakes races during the
season in Australia - some 25 less than Oliver.
PICS - Quentin
Lang. |
