Damien Oliver

If you’re looking for a true legend of Australian sport, Damien Oliver is the name. A career spanning more than three decades, three Melbourne Cup victories, over 130 Group 1 wins — the numbers alone are extraordinary. But it’s the story behind the numbers that really gets you. His emotional victory aboard Media Puzzle in the 2002 Melbourne Cup, just days after losing his brother Jason in a race fall, remains one of the most poignant moments in all of Australian sporting history. I still get chills thinking about it.

Career Statistics

Player Profile

Oliver’s three Melbourne Cup victories — aboard Doriemus (1995), Media Puzzle (2002), and Fiorente (2013) — place him among the all-time greats of the race that stops the nation. His longevity at the top is remarkable, with Oliver continuing to ride Group 1 winners well into his fifties. A multiple Melbourne jockeys’ premiership winner, he’s ridden for virtually every major stable in Australian racing and has been the go-to big-race jockey for generations of trainers. Cox Plates, Caulfield Cups, Golden Slippers — the list just goes on and on. He’s not just one of Australian racing’s greatest jockeys; he’s one of Australia’s greatest-ever sportspeople, full stop.

NC — Staff sports writer, australiafootball.com