When we consider some of the best jockeys in the world, one doesn’t have to look much further than Australia. Australia, similar to Ireland, is a country filled with incredible jockeys. Not all of these jockeys are amazing, so who are the best Australian jockeys?
James McDonald
James McDonald is probably the best current Australian jockey in the world. Even though he is officially not from Australia, his accolades are a great backup for this. JMac has a remarkable 79 wins to his name at the top level, including wins in New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Great Britain.
41 of his Group 1 wins happened in Sydney. He had great relationships with horses Anamoe, Dundeel, Verry Elleegant, and Nature Strip, providing him with 23 of those wins. He is the best Australian jockey in the world currently. If you view Boylesports racing odds, you will see him at the top with the lowest odds due to his experience and talent.
Roy Higgins
Roy Higgins is known as one of the jockeys who doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. Melbourne-born Higgins won 11 Melbourne Jockey Premierships; he also won 2300 races using his sublime riding skills and racing strategies.
He has modeled consistency and a calm and thoughtful approach to racing. Higgisn has been using tactical knowledge to outsmart rivals, which was a new thing for the time. Despite retiring 40 years ago in 1983, his influence is still felt in the sport today.
Darren Beadman
In my opinion, he is the best I’ve ever seen. When I first started to watch the racing and enjoy it, Beadman was the man to get me in and get me excited. He holds the record for the most metropolitan wins in a season with 162, a feat that he achieved in 2006/07 and will probably never be replicated on a horse track again. Beadman also won the Sydney Jockey Premiership seven times. He carried on his career in Hong Kong, where he helped John Moore win his first title in over 20 years.
Damien Oliver
Damien Oliver has had a remarkable career that dates back to 1988. He moved to Melbourne and dominated the 90s with Lee Freedman, where he won a host of big races, including a Melbourne Cup. He holds the Australian record for the most Group 1 wins with 127.
Damien Oliver is one of a select few to have won the Grand Slam of Australian Racing. That being, the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate, and Golden Slipper. He’s going to be a benchmark jockey for years. Of all of his wins, the one that meant the most to him and Australia was his 2002 win in the Melbourne Cup as in the lead-up to the race, his brother died in an accident, proving his mental toughness and resilience.
Hugh Bowman
Hugh Bowman is a name that will forever be linked with one of the biggest racehorses of all time, Winx. He guided Winx to 33 consecutive victories and Bowman’s partnership with Winx is one of the most successful in Horse racing history.
Bowman had a very calm and patient riding style which matched perfectly with Winx’s explosive turn of foot. They dominated Australian races and captivated the audience with their thrilling performances. He didn’t just win with Winx however. He won Group 1 races with many other horses which further solidified his position as one of the best jockeys ever.
Australian Jockeys, even if sometimes they aren’t born here, keep us proud to be Australian. With Horse Racing being such a global and impressive sport, it is always nice to see people from our home doing well, and long may it continue.
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