Damien Oliver (born 22 June 1972) is an Australian

thoroughbred racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing i ...

jockey. Oliver comes from a racing family; his father Ray Oliver had a successful career until his death in a race fall during the 1975

Kalgoorlie Kalgoorlie is a city in the Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia, located east-northeast of Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway. It is sometimes referred to as Kalgoorlie–Boulder, as the surrounding urban area includ ...

cup in

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to t ...

. In 2008 Oliver was inducted into 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 aft ...

Racing career

Oliver's riding career started in 1988 and he completed his apprenticeship with his stepfather Lindsey Rudland and

Lee Freedman David Lee Freedman (born 12 August 1956) is an Australian thoroughbred racehorse trainer. and Hall of Fame inductee. In partnership with brothers Anthony, Michael, and Richard, he has been a prolific winner of Australia's major races in past 2 ...

. His first win as an apprentice was in March 1988 on Mr. Gudbud, at Bunbury, Western Australia and his first feature race win was the AJC Warwick Stakes. Unfortunately he suffered a series of injuries including a broken spine in March 2005, sustained in a fall at Moonee Valley. He returned to riding after that back injury and rode the Japanese horse

Pop Rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...

in the 2006 Melbourne Cup, which finished second to stablemate

Delta Blues Delta blues is one of the earliest-known styles of blues. It originated in the Mississippi Delta, and is regarded as a regional variant of country blues. Guitar and harmonica are its dominant instruments; slide guitar is a hallmark of th ...

. In the 2007 Melbourne Cup, he placed second to Efficient on

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

horse Purple Moon. Oliver has won the Melbourne Cup three times, on

Doriemus Doriemus (17 November 1990 – 11 January 2015) was a Thoroughbred racehorse who began his career in New Zealand and rose to prominence in Australia by winning the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups in 1995. He was the eighth of just nine horses to ...

(1995) Media Puzzle (2002) and

Fiorente Fiorente (foaled 2008) is a Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Ireland and trained in Australia. When racing in Europe, he showed high-class form, winning the Princess of Wales's Stakes in 2012. He had greater success when campaigned in Australia ...

(2013),"Gai Waterhouse's Fiorente wins the 2013 Melbourne Cup"
by Will Brodie, ''

Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...

'', 5 November 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2013. the

Caulfield Cup The Caulfield Cup is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held under handicap conditions, although the Melbourne Racing Club is in the process of turning the race into weight for age (WFA) conditions. This is for all horses ...

on Mannerism (1992), Paris Lane (1994),

(1995), and Sky Heights (1999), the

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 Moo ...

Dane Ripper Dane Ripper is an Australian Thoroughbred race horse. Trained by Bart Cummings, she is best known for her win in the 1997 Cox Plate when ridden by Damien Oliver Damien Oliver (born 22 June 1972) is an Australian thoroughbred racing jockey. ...

(1997) and

Northerly Northerly (17 October 1996 – 9 May 2012) was an Australian racehorse who is considered arguably Australia's best middle distance Thoroughbred horse of the early 2000s. Northerly, trained by Western Australian harness racing legend Fred Kersl ...

(2001) and the Blue Diamond Stakes (2004). He was also the regular rider of

's champion sprinter Schillaci (1991–95) and top filly

Alinghi Alinghi, or Alinghi Red Bull Racing because of the sports marketing branding by Red Bull, is the syndicate set up by Ernesto Bertarelli, racing under the colors of the Société Nautique de Genève, to challenge for the America's Cup, as well as ...

(2003–05). In the 2007 Golden Slipper, Oliver completed the grand slam of Australian racing by winning the two-year-old race on the John Hawkes trained Forensics. Since his first ride in the Melbourne Cup in 1989, Oliver has only been absent from three editions of the race,

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; " Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discover ...

due to injury, 2017 due to suspension and 2022 due to his ride Durston being withdrawn from the race with injury. On 22 September 2010, Oliver pulled out of rides at a Sandown meeting, while helping police with their inquiries into a criminal investigation. In 2011, '' The Cup'', a biopic starring

Stephen Curry Wardell Stephen Curry II ( ; born March 14, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, ...

, was released. It covered Oliver's relationships with his family and how he overcame the death of his brother Jason Oliver and won the 2002 Melbourne Cup two weeks later on Media Puzzle. In 2013, Oliver won his third Melbourne Cup riding the favourite,

. This ride was also his 100th Group 1 win. The victory was trainer Gai Waterhouse's first victory in the Melbourne Cup. As of April 2022, Oliver has ridden 3,087 winners, including 127 in

Group One Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern race system introduce ...

races.

Illegal betting and suspension

In 2012, Oliver was accused of placing a $10,000 bet on a rival horse, Miss Octopussy, to beat a horse he was riding, Europa Point, in the same race at

Moonee Valley Racecourse Moonee Valley Racecourse, currently marketed as The Valley, is a horse-racing track in Moonee Ponds, Melbourne, Victoria Australia. History Moonee Valley Racecourse was established in 1883 by William Samuel (W.S.) Cox, who purchased a fa ...

on 1 October 2010. Europa Point finished sixth but stewards had no issue with the way Oliver rode his horse, saying there was no change from the usual racing pattern or any other reason to doubt the integrity of the ride. It was subsequently revealed that he made an $11,000 profit with his bet."Damien Oliver's holiday at mug punters' expense"
by Andrew Webster, ''

'', 31 October 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013. The then alleged incident was not discovered until 2012, during an investigation into the racing industry. He was subsequently dropped from the Lloyd Williams-owned Green Moon in the 2012

and 2012 Melbourne Cup although he did ride in the 2012 Cup Carnival, a move that reportedly annoyed some members of the public and racing industry. He won the Victoria Derby and Emirates Stakes. On 13 November 2012, Oliver was formally charged with the alleged offence. On 20 November 2012 he was banned for eight months for the illegal bet and received an additional two months' suspension for using a mobile phone in the area of the jockeys room against the rules. He was unable to ride in races until 13 September 2013."Out for 10 months: Oliver banned for illegal bet"
by Michael Lynch, ''

'', 20 November 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2013. On his return to race riding, Oliver immediately tasted success culminating in his Melbourne Cup winning ride. There has been discussion on whether Oliver's sentence was adequate and the sentence for this offence has increased significantly since. Had it occurred in 2013, he would have been suspended for two years for the same offence.

Awards

Damien Oliver has won Racing Victoria's

Scobie Breasley Medal The Scobie Breasley Medal is an annual Jockeys award, first presented by Racing Victoria Limited in 1996, that recognises excellence in race riding on Melbourne racetracks. Votes are cast by racing stewards at each meeting and are awarded on a 3-2 ...

fourteen times (1996, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2020). The award recognises excellence in race riding on Melbourne racetracks and is voted on the day of racing by stewards in a 3:2:1 format for the race ride of the day. In 2014, he won the inaugural Roy Higgins Medal as the winner of the Victorian jockeys' premiership. Oliver won the 2014/15 Melbourne Jockeys' Premiership after riding 60 race winners. It was Oliver's 10th win of the award, trailing only Roy Higgins and Bill Duncan who have won the award 11 times.

Personal life

Oliver is married to Trish and they have three children. They live in the Melbourne suburb of

Port Melbourne Port Melbourne is an inner-city List of Melbourne suburbs, suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Melbourne central business district, Central Business District, located within the Cities of ...

."Melbourne Cup winner Damien Oliver's hard ride to redemption"
by Ron Reed, ''

Herald Sun The ''Herald Sun'' is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia, published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Corp Australia, itself a subsidiary of the Murdoch owned News Corp. The ''Herald ...

'', 9 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013. Oliver's elder brother Jason was also a jockey; he died on 29 October 2002, after a fall at Belmont Park Racecourse, Western Australia when a young horse he was riding broke both front legs and fell during a race trial. The horse was found to have been administered phenylbutazone prior to the trial and this was thought to be a contributing factor in the accident. Oliver supports the

West Coast Eagles The West Coast Eagles are a professional Australian rules football club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 as one of two expansion teams in the Australian Football League (AFL), then known as the Victorian Football L ...

in the

Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional sports, professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling ...

Group 1 winners (127)

* Adelaide Cup (1) – Sheer Kingston (1999) *

AJC Derby AJC may refer to: * Agreement on Journey Continuation, an agreement between European rail operators to allow passengers in case of a missed connection * Allen Jack+Cottier (AJ+C), an architectural practice * American Jewish Committee, an advocacy ...

(1) – Don Eduardo (2002) * All Aged Stakes (3) – Hurricane Sky (1995); Danleigh (2009); Tivaci (2017) *

Auckland Cup The Auckland Cup is an annual race held by the Auckland Racing Club (ARC). It is an Open Handicap for thoroughbred racehorses competed on the flat turf over 3200 metres (two miles) at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. The race was ...

(1) – Zavite (2010) *

Australasian Oaks The Australasian Oaks, is a South Australian Jockey Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies at Set Weights run over a distance of 2000 metres at Morphettville Racecourse, Adelaide, Australia in the SAJC Autumn Carnival ...

(4) – Mannerism (1991); Episode (1999); Tully Thunder (2002); Princess Jenni (2019) *

Australian Cup The Australian Cup is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older, held under Weight for Age conditions, over a distance of 2000 metres, at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in March dur ...

(1) –

(2014) *

Australian Guineas The Australian Guineas is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run at set weights, over a distance of 1600 metres at Flemington Racecourse, in Melbourne, Australia in March during the VRC Autumn Racing Carni ...

(3) – Flying Spur (1996); Mr. Murphy (2001); Grunt (2018) *

Blue Diamond Stakes The Blue Diamond Stakes is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-olds, at set weights, run over 1200 metres at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The event is Victoria's richest two-year-old race ...

(1) –

(2004) * Brisbane Cup (1) – Sheer Kingston (1999) * Cantala Stakes (2) – Happy Trails (2012); Superstorm (2021) *

(4) – Mannerism (1992); Paris Lane (1994);

(1995); Sky Heights (1999) * Caulfield Guineas (2) – Centro (1990);

Anamoe Anamoe (foaled 16 November 2018) is a nine-time Group 1 winning Australian thoroughbred racehorse. Background A homebred for Godolphin, Anamoe is a half-brother to Irish stakes-winner Anamba and is out of the 2007 Australasian Oaks winner A ...

(2021) *

Caulfield Stakes The Might and Power, registered as the Caulfield Stakes is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run under weight-for-age conditions, for three-year-olds and upwards, run over a distance of 2,000 metres at Caulfield Racecourse ...

(4) – Naturalism (1993); Danewin (1995);

(2001);

Whobegotyou Whobegotyou (19 August 2005 - 12 September 2012) was an Australian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. The horse won nine races, including the Group One (G1) Caulfield Guineas and Yalumba Stakes for $3,115,450 in prize money. He was a chestnut geldin ...

(2009) *

C F Orr Stakes The C F Orr Stakes is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age, run over a distance of 1400 metres at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in February. Total prize money is A$750,000. Histo ...

(2) – Durbridge (1993); El Segundo (2007) * Champagne Stakes (2) – Quick Star (1999); Seabrook (2018) * Chipping Norton Stakes (1) – Casino Prince (2008) *

Coolmore Classic The Coolmore Classic, registered as the TAD Kennedy Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged three years old and upwards under set weights conditions, run over a distance of 1500 metres at Rosehi ...

(1) – Porto Roca (2001) *

(2) –

(1997);

(2001) *

Doomben Cup The Doomben Cup is a Brisbane Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older, run under Weight for Age conditions over a distance of 2000 metres at Doomben Racecourse, Brisbane, Australia during the Queensland ...

(1) – Sarrera (2008) *

Doomben 10,000 The Doomben 10,000 is a Brisbane Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred Weight for Age horse race, run over a distance of 1200 metres at Doomben Racecourse, Brisbane, Australia during the Queensland Winter Racing Carnival. Total prize money is A$ ...

(2) – Falvelon (2002);

Apache Cat Apache Cat (foaled 2002) is an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who had 43 starts for 19 wins (including eight Group One (G1) victories) and was placed on another 11 occasions from for just under $4.6 million in prize money. He was born and br ...

(2009) *

Empire Rose Stakes The Empire Rose Stakes, is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held under Weight for Age conditions, for fillies and mares aged three-years-old and upwards, over a distance of 1600 metres, held at Flemington Racecourse, Melbour ...

(3) – Hurtle Myrtle (2011); Shout The Bar (2020);

Colette Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (; 28 January 1873 – 3 August 1954), known mononymously as Colette, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the English-speaking world for her ...

(2021) * Futurity Stakes (4) – Mannerism (1992); Testa Rossa (2000); Mr. Murphy (2001);

Suavito Suavito (foaled 21/08/2010) is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse formally trained by Nigel Blackiston at Flemington Racecourse. She was bred in New Zealand by IDL Racing Ltd, and was raced throughout her entire career in Australia. She was a mul ...

(2015) *

George Ryder Stakes The George Ryder Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and over at Weight for age conditions, over a distance of 1500 metres at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in March or April. It is ...

(1) – Schillaci (1993) *

Golden Rose Stakes The Golden Rose Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run at set weights, over a distance of 1,400 metres at Rosehill Racecourse, Sydney, Australia. Previously run in late August or early Septembe ...

(1) - Toorak Toff (2010) * Golden Slipper (1) – Forensics (2007) *

Kingston Town Classic The Kingston Town Classic is a Perth Racing Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run under Weight for Age conditions for three year olds and older over a distance of 1800 metres at Ascot Racecourse in Perth, Western Australia in early December. Total p ...

(1) – Sniper's Bullet (2009) * Lightning Stakes (5) – Schillaci (1992); Schillaci (1993); Gold Ace (1996); Testa Rossa (2000); Nicconi (2010) * Mackinnon Stakes (5) – Paris Lane (1994); Danewin (1995);

Grand Armee Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor * Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist * Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper Places * Grand, Oklahoma * Grand, Vosges, village and commun ...

(2004); Glass Harmonium (2011); Happy Trails (2014) *

Makybe Diva Stakes The Makybe Diva Stakes, previously called the Craiglee Stakes, is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race at Weight for age conditions for three year olds and older, over a distance of 1,600 metres held at Flemington Racecourse i ...

(2) – Fawkner (2015); Grunt (2018) *

Manikato Stakes The Manikato Stakes is a Moonee Valley Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and over under Weight for age conditions, over a distance of 1200 metres. It is held at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne, Austr ...

(2) – Sonic Express (1991);

(1998) * Melbourne Cup (3) –

(1995); Media Puzzle (2002);

(2013) * Newmarket Handicap (3) – Schillaci (1992); Toledo (2001);

(2005) *

New Zealand Derby The New Zealand Derby is a set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run over a distance of 2,400 metres (12 furlongs) at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. It is held on the first Saturday in March, as the opening day o ...

(1) – So Casual (1998) *

Oakleigh Plate The Oakleigh Plate is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred open handicap horse race, run over a distance of 1100 metres at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in late February. Total prize money is A$750,000. History The Oakleigh ...

(2) – Schillaci (1992); Eagle Falls (2011) * Queen Elizabeth Stakes (5) – Defier (2002); Desert War (2007); Sarrera (2008); Road To Rock (2010); Lucia Valentina (2016); * Queen of the Turf Stakes (2) – Azkadellia (2016); Nimalee (2022) *

Queensland Derby The Queensland Derby is a Brisbane Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds at, set weights, run over a distance of 2400 metres at Eagle Farm Racecourse, Brisbane, Australia in June during the Queensland Winter Racing Carn ...

(1) – Empires Choice (2007) * Robert Sangster Stakes (3) –

(2005); Secret Agenda (2017); Spright (2019) *

South Australian Derby The South Australian Derby is a South Australian Jockey Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, at set weights, run over a distance of 2,500 metres at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide, Australia during the SAJC Autumn Carni ...

(1) – Zabeelionaire (2012) *

South Australian Oaks The SA Fillies Classic is a South Australian Jockey Club Group 3 Thoroughbred horse race for fillies aged three years old, over a distance of 2500 metres at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide, Australia during the SAJC Autumn Carnival. Histor ...

(2) – Episode (1999); Asia (2001) * Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (6) – Submariner (1990); Mannerism (1992); Poetic King (1994); Testa Rossa (1999); Mr. Murphy (2001); Orange County (2008) *

Stradbroke Handicap The Stradbroke Handicap is a Brisbane Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred open handicap horse race, run over a distance of 1,400 metres at Eagle Farm Racecourse, Brisbane in June during the Queensland Winter Racing Carnival. It is one of the highligh ...

(1) – River Lad (2014) *

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 i ...

(1) – No Wine No Song (2008) *

Tancred Stakes H E Tancred Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older, run over 2,400 metres at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney, Australia. The prize money for the event is A$1,50 ...

(2) – Blutigeroo (2007); Cedarberg (2011) * The Galaxy (2) – Schillaci (1992); Magnus (2007) * The Thousand Guineas (5) – Azzurro (1992); Special Harmony (2003);

(2004); Gallica (2008); Commanding Jewel (2012) * Underwood Stakes (2) –

(2001);

Russian Camelot Russian Camelot (foaled 29 March 2017) is a multiple Group 1 winning Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Ireland and raced in Australia. Career Russian Camelot made his debut at Ballarat on 11 October 2019, jumping at $4.60 and winning by 2 length ...

(2020) * Victoria Derby (6) – Redding (1992); Amalfi (2001); Elvstroem (2003); Fiveandahalfstar (2012); Preferment (2014); Warning (2019) * Vinery Stud Stakes (2) – Northwood Plume (1995); Special Harmony (2004) * VRC Oaks (7) – Northwood Plume (1994); Kensington Palace (1997); Special Harmony (2003); Jameka (2015); Miami Bound (2019); Personal (2020); Willowy (2021) * VRC Sires' Produce Stakes (1) – Pride of Rancho (1993) * WATC Australian Derby (1) – Dance the Day Away (1992) *

Wellington Cup The Wellington Cup is a Group 3 Thoroughbred horse race in New Zealand held annually in late January at Trentham Racecourse in Trentham by the Wellington Racing Club. History Inaugurated in 1874, the Wellington Cup has been raced over various ...

(1) – Ed (1995) *

William Reid Stakes The William Reid Stakes is a horse race of Moonee Valley Racing Club Group 1 thoroughbred racing at Weight for Age, for three year olds and older, run over a distance of 1200 metres at Moonee Valley Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in the autumn. ...

(1) –

(2009) *

Winterbottom Stakes The Winterbottom Stakes is a Perth Racing Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held under weight for age conditions, for horses aged three and upwards, over a distance of 1200 metres at Ascot Racecourse, Perth, Western Australia in November. Prizemo ...

(1) – Voodoo Lad (2018) * Zabeel Classic (1) – Zonda (2001)

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

Damien Oliver career statistics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oliver, Damien 1972 births Living people Sportspeople from Perth, Western Australia Jockeys from Melbourne Australian Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees