PETER PAN lll VRC MELBOURNE CUP 1932 & 1934

Rogilla 1933 VRC Melbourne Stakes Flemington Racecourse Jockey Darby Munro Trainer Les Haigh

Russia 1946 VRC Melbourne Cup Flemington Racecourse Jockey Darby Munro Trainer Ted Hush

David Hugh "Darby" Munro (5 March 1913 – 3 April 1966) also known as "the Demon" or the "Brown Bomber" was an

Aboriginal Australian Aboriginal Australians are the various Indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, such as Tasmania, Fraser Island, Hinchinbrook Island, the Tiwi Islands, and Groote Eylandt, but excluding the Torres Strait Islands ...

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

born in Caulfield. He was a three-time winner of the

Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Melbou ...

Early life

He was educated at Marist Brothers' College, Randwick, and served his apprenticeship as a jockey with his brother John. By another account, Munro was born on 23 March 1913 in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

but grew up in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, and was "discovered" by prominent Randwick trainer Jeremiah "Jerome" Carey (c. 1867 – 6 February 1952), and in 1925 or 1926 taken to Melbourne where he gained some experience riding Carey's horse Bicolor. This same article asserts that Darby got his jockey's ticket as his father's apprentice, but his first race was on Carey's Karuma in a Tattersall's Two-year-old Handicap on 21 May 1927, and was beaten by a horse named Rosso.

Career

He trained with his father,

Hugh Munro Sir Hugh Thomas Munro, 4th Baronet (16 October 1856 – 19 March 1919), was a British mountaineer best known for his list of mountains in Scotland over 3,000 feet (914.4 m), known as Munros. Born in London, Munro was the fifth child of ...

, from about age 10 and established himself as one of the best jockeys of the period. Munro came into prominence in May 1927 when he won the Prospect Handicap on Release, beating his famous brother

Jim Jim or JIM may refer to: * Jim (given name), a given name * Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James * Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy * OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism * ''Jim'' (comics), a series by Jim Woodring * ''Jim ...

Quixotic Quixotic may refer to: * Quixotism, deriving from the novel ''Don Quixote'' * ''Quixotic'' (album), an album by Martina Topley-Bird * Quix*o*tic Quix*o*tic was a rock band active from 1997 to 2002 in the area of Washington, D.C., United States. T ...

. Later that same day he won the May Handicap on Spring Days. His services were soon in demand by such famous trainers as Jackson "Jack" Holt "the Wizard of Mordialloc" (c. 1880–1951),

Bailey Payten Bailey may refer to: People and fictional characters * Bailey (surname) * Bailey (given name) Castles and bridges * Bailey (castle), or ward, a courtyard of a castle or fortification, enclosed by a curtain wall * Bailey bridge, a portable prefa ...

(c. 1896 – 9 September 1948), and Peter Riddle (c. 1885 – 29 June 1947).

Style

Munro was noted for his vigorous riding, especially in a tight finish. Unlike many other outstanding jockeys, he was not interested in golf, but kept himself fit by riding and swimming, an exercise he enjoyed, and never dieted to keep his weight down, though he did have a problem later on. Though daring and energetic, he seldom fell from his mount, and was never seriously injured. He was on several occasions invited to ride in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, but declined, preferring to remain in Australia. He was renowned for his stony poker face, which may have contributed to the ambivalent attitude of the public towards him: cheering his wins and booing his failures. His many fans may have considered him Australia's greatest jockey, but no-one would have denied he was the most colourful.

Ancestry

Darby never publicly revealed his Aboriginal heritage. The details of his heritage are unclear. However, Munro is a prominent Aboriginal surname, and other Aboriginal riders were convinced he was Aboriginal. Due to his complexion he was referred to as the 'Brown Bomber'. He was also given the nickname "the Coon", a racist epithet which other Aboriginal sportspersons also were called.

Later years

He appeared in cameo as himself in the 1941 comedy film '' Racing Luck''. In February 1941 his licence was revoked for six months after a race at Ascot. He enlisted with the

Second AIF The Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF, or Second AIF) was the name given to the volunteer expeditionary force of the Australian Army in the Second World War. It was formed following the declaration of war on Nazi Germany, with an initial ...

in 1942 and served until 1944 when he was discharged as medically unfit. A ride on Vagabond at Caulfield resulted in a two-year disqualification. His application for a permit to ride in England in 1953 was refused, but he made appearances in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

that year.

Retirement and death

He retired in 1955. In later years he suffered from diabetes and in 1964 his left leg had to be amputated. He died from cerebral haemorrhage and his remains were buried in the Catholic section of

Randwick cemetery South Coogee is a coastal suburb in South-Eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. South Coogee is located 9 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Randwi ...

Legacy

* In 1981 a caricature of Darby Munro by Tony Rafty was featured on a
Australian stamp
issued by

Australia Post Australia Post, formally the Australian Postal Corporation, is the government business enterprise that provides postal services in Australia. The head office of Australia Post is located in Bourke Street, Melbourne, which also serves as a post o ...

. * His name was in 2001 entered in the

Australian Racing Hall of Fame The Australian Racing Hall of Fame is part of the Australian Racing Museum which documents and honours the horseracing legends of Australia. The museum officially opened in 1981 and created the Hall of Fame in 2000. The numbers in brackets afte ...

Notable wins

* Adrian Knox Stakes: Session (1941) *

All Aged Stakes The All Aged Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred Weight for Age horse race, run over a distance of 1,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in April or May during the ATC Autumn Carnival. Prize money is A$600,0 ...

: Katanga (1944); San Domenico (1952) * Anniversary Handicap: Feminist (1941) * Biraganbil Handicap: Katanga (1940) * A.J.C. Challenge Stakes: Venetian Lady (1930) *

Chelmsford Stakes The Chelmsford Stakes is a Tattersalls Club Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race run over 1600 metres at Weight for Age at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in September. Prize money is A$250,000. History The race was first run in 1895. ...

Rogilla Rogilla was a chestnut Australian thoroughbred gelding, who was a versatile racehorse performing in Australia. Known as the ''Coalfields Champion'' from Newcastle, Rogilla raced during a vintage era of the Australian turf. He won in each of th ...

(1933) and (1934), beating

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by List of Scottish novelists, Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and Puer aeternus, never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending ...

, ridden by Jim Munro. *

Chipping Norton Stakes The Chipping Norton Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older, run at weight for age, over a distance of 1600 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in February or March. Prizem ...

: Reading (1940); Katanga (1944) and (1945) *

Colin Stephen Quality Handicap The Colin Stephen Quality Handicap is an Australian Turf Club Group 3 Thoroughbred open quality handicap horse race for horses three years old and older, over a distance of 2400 metres, held annually at Rosehill Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in Se ...

previously Spring Stakes: Rogilla (1933) and (1934);

Beau Vite Beau Vite was a New Zealand-bred brown Thoroughbred Stallion, who developed into a grand stayer performing in New Zealand and Australia and raced from a two-year-old to a five-year-old on wet or dry tracks recording 31 wins from 5 furlongs to ...

(1941); Katanga (1942) and (1943) * A.J.C. Derby/Australian Derby:

Hall Mark A hallmark is an official mark or series of marks struck on items made of metal, mostly to certify the content of noble metals—such as platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium. In a more general sense, the term ''hallmark'' can als ...

(1933); Allunga (dead heat 1935); Nuffield (1938); Reading (1939); and Main Topic (1942) * V.R.C. Derby/Victoria Derby:

(1933);

Hydrogen Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, an ...

(1951) *

Doncaster Handicap The Doncaster Mile, registered as the Doncaster Handicap is an Australian Turf Club Group One Thoroughbred handicap race for horses three years old and older, held over 1,600 metres at Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia. Although the ra ...

: Venetian Lady (1930), his first important win;

Mildura Mildura is a regional city in north-west Victoria, Australia. Located on the Victorian side of the Murray River, Mildura had a population of 34,565 in 2021. When nearby Wentworth, Irymple, Nichols Point and Merbein are included, the area had ...

(1940) * Duke of Gloucester Cup: Peter Pan *

Easter Plate Easter Plate is a tectonic microplate located to the west of Easter Island off the west coast of South America in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, bordering the Nazca Plate to the east and the Pacific Plate to the west. It was discovered from lo ...

: Session (1940) *

Epsom Handicap The Epsom Handicap is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older, under handicap conditions over a distance of 1,600 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in early October. Prize money ...

: Modulation (1944); and Shannon (1946), carrying 9 st. 9 lb. (61 kg) * January Handicap: Feminist (1941) *

George Main Stakes The George Main Stakes, is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run under Weight for Age conditions, over a distance of 1600 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in September. Total prize money for the race is A$1, ...

: Shannon (1946) and (1947) * Kings Cup (later known as

Queen Elizabeth Stakes (ATC) The Queen Elizabeth Stakes, formerly known as the Queen's Plate, AJC Plate, and AJC King's Cup, is is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race run over a distance of 2,000 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydne ...

): Rogilla (1934); Allunga (1937); Old Rowley (1938); Mosaic (1940); Katanga (1944); Russia (1947); Aristocrat (1952) *

(1934); Sirius (1944);

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

(1946). The only riders with a better Melbourne Cup record were

Bobby Lewis Robert Alan Lewis (February 9, 1925 – April 28, 2020) was an American rock and roll and rhythm and blues singer, best known for his 1961 hit singles "Tossin' and Turnin'" and "One Track Mind". Biography Lewis was born in Indianapolis, Indiana ...

and Harry White, with four wins each. * Melbourne Stakes (from 1937 known as

LKS Mackinnon Stakes The VRC Champions Stakes, registered as the ''LKS Mackinnon Stakes'', is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run under Weight for Age conditions over a distance of 2000 metres at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia o ...

): Rogilla (1933); Peter Pan (1934);

(1941) * Paddington Handicap: Tuckerbox (1941) * Phillip Handicap: Rylstone (1941) *

AJC St Leger The AJC St Leger is an historical Australian Turf Club Thoroughbred horse race run over 2,600 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia run under set weights with penalties for stayers three - years and older. History The AJC St L ...

: Reading (1940); Hydrogen (1952) *

AJC Sires' Produce Stakes The Inglis Sires', registered as the Sires Produce Stakes, is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-olds at Set Weights run over a distance of 1,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in April during ...

: Dark Sky (1934); Reading (1939) *

Sydney Cup The Sydney Cup is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred handicap horse race, for horses three years old and older, run over 3200 metres at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia in the autumn during the ATC Championships series and it is ...

: Mosaic (1940); Abspear (1943); Veiled Threat (1944) * Valicare Handicap: Astrid (1941) *

Victoria Derby The Victoria Derby, also known as the Penfolds Victoria Derby, is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held under Set Weights conditions over a distance of 2,500 metres at Flemington Racecourse, in Melbour ...

(1933); Nuffield (1938); Reading (1939); Beau Gem (1947);

(1951) *

VRC St Leger The VRC St Leger is a Listed Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run at set weights with penalties, over a distance of 2800 metres at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia on ANZAC Day. History First run in 1857, the race was ...

: Reading (1940) *

Warwick Stakes The Winx Stakes, registered as the Warwick Stakes, is a Group 1 Australian Turf Club thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age, for three-year-olds and older over a distance of 1400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in August. Priz ...

(1935); Allunga (1937); Beaulivre (1940); Katanga (1943); Removal (1945) and Tarien (1954) * Widden Handicap: Beau Port (1941) *

W S Cox Plate The W. S. Cox Plate is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and over under Weight for age conditions, over a distance of 2040 metres (approximately 1m 2f), that is held by the Moonee Valley Racing Club at Mo ...

(1933); Young Idea (1937); Mosaic (1939);

(1941);

(1952) Other notable mounts were Mosaic, Nuffield, Pantheon, Manrico, Mildura

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Munro, Darby Australian jockeys 1913 births 1966 deaths Sportspeople from Melbourne Indigenous Australian sportspeople Sportspeople from Sydney