When it comes to winning horse races in Australia, most domestic and international betting sites are fully aware of one man who tends to always grab a winner; Damien Oliver.
Despite still being at the very top of his game, Oliver is to step away from racing following the Summer Carnival in Perth, leaving a huge void in the Aussie racing scene.
For over three decades, the very presence of Damien Oliver’s name in a race card brought confidence to plenty of punters and a sense of fear to some Aussie bookmakers.
Riding a remarkable 3167 career winners is testament to the enduring appeal of Damien Oliver and he looks set to leave the sport of horse racing and to go down in Aussie horse folklore.
The Summer Carnival at Perth will serve as a fitting finale for Oliver, who will be eager to go out on one last high.
Another Melbourne Cup?
Few jockeys ever get to experience the thrill of triumphing at a Melbourne Cup, but Damien Oliver has completed the feat three times in his incredible career.
Wins on Doriemus in 1995 and Fiorente in 2013 were incredible triumphs for Oliver, who has also had to deal with his fair share of off-track issues throughout his career.
However, it was his 2002 victory on board Media Puzzle that will live long in the memory of Australian punters and betting sites alike, with Oliver producing an incredible win – just days after his older brother Jason was killed in a horse racing accident.
Whilst he isn’t expected to be amongst the favourites for glory at Flemington in 2023, few would rule out Damien Oliver from being in the mix for one more Melbourne Cup this November.
Career Controversies
Any tenure lasting 30 years at the very top of the horse racing game is sure to have its fair share of ebbs and flows and Damien Oliver has been involved in the lot.
The aforementioned death of his older brother Jason, who was killed on board a horse that was being subjected to illegal drug use, was a devastating shock to the whole Australian horse racing community.
In 2012, Oliver was suspended for his involvement in a betting ring, that saw him bet against his own horse in a race at Moonee Valley.
This breach of the ethical horse racing code saw the book thrown at Oliver and he was suspended from racing for 8 months.
Being in his 40’s at the time, it many expected Oliver to make a phased move away from the sport but he has enjoyed another decade of success subsequently.
Can’t keep a good man down
The prolific and consistent nature of Damien Oliver is epitomised in his career record.
Registering over 3000 wins is testament to his ability and consistency and racetracks across Australia will be a very different place without Damien Oliver saddling up.
His resilience was once again underlined by his incredible Melbourne Cup triumph in 2013, where he rode Fiorente to a famous win, fresh after his suspension from the sport and much of his career has tended to centre around silencing the doubters.
Writing off Damien Oliver has always been a very foolish thing to do and there won’t be many domestic or international betting sites that will be completely ruling out Damien Oliver for further triumphs between now and the Perth Spring Carnival.
At the age of 51, Damien Oliver has decided to step away from the world of horse racing, much to the delight of many profit seeking Aussie bookmakers.
The Spring Carnival in Perth will be his last professional outing but with plenty of huge races between now and then, be sure that Damien Oliver will be doing all he can to add to his packed-out trophy cabinet before he hangs up the saddle.
