Damien Oliver announces retirement
Legendary jockey Damien Oliver has announced that the 2023 Melbourne Spring Carnival will be his last.
Oliver, 51, is poised to make his final appearance at the Spring Carnival before hanging up his silks following the West Australian Summer Carnival.
Throughout his illustrious career, Oliver has won 3,167 races, including an impressive 128 triumphs in Group 1 events, while amassing a staggering prize money total of $256,070,394.
Oliver’s legacy is deeply intertwined with the Australian horse racing world, with his emotional 2002 Melbourne Cup victory astride Media Puzzle standing out as a pinnacle moment.
The records speak volumes about Oliver’s supremacy in Australian racing history; his 128 Group 1 victories stand as a testament to his unparalleled skill, placing him nine wins ahead of George Moore.
Oliver has garnered numerous accolades during his career, notably clinching the Scobie Breasley Medal – an award determined by stewards’ votes – a remarkable 11 times.
Additionally, he has secured the Melbourne jockeys’ premiership 10 times.
Among his many accomplishments, Oliver’s distinction as one of only eight jockeys to triumph in all four major races across Australia is particularly noteworthy.
His victories include three Melbourne Cups (Doriemus 1995, Media Puzzle 2002, Fiorente 2013), four Caulfield Cups (Mannerism 1992, Paris Lane 1994, Doriemus 1995, Sky Heights 1999), two Cox Plates (Dane Ripper 1997, Northerly 2001), and one Golden Slipper (Forensics 2003).