Australian horse racing has some notable personalities. Some of these personalities were actual participants, while others include trainers and race callers. In the realm of horse racing, some people carved up a niche for themselves and their contributions to the sport did not go unnoticed. The personalities or the most well-known names of Australian horse racing are always changing, but there are some names that simply cannot be removed from the history books of Australian thoroughbred racing. These names or personalities of Australian horse racing are what we’re going to discuss here.
You cannot be a true follower of Australian horse racing until you’re familiar with the personalities or the most well-known names of the sport. Now, some of these names are related to the actual horse racing, while others are related to horse race betting. So, without wasting any further time, let’s look at some of the personalities that left a lasting impact on Australian horse racing.
Bill Collins
If you follow Australian horse racing, then one name that you’d surely know about is Bill Collins. Popularly known in the Australian horse racing circles as ‘the accurate one’, Bill Collins is arguably the best race caller of all time. A man with encyclopaedic knowledge of bookmakers, horses, owners, trainers, and jockeys, Collins left a lasting mark on Australian horse racing. In addition to being the most sought-after name in Australian horse racing, Collins was in demand at race tracks in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Africa etc.
Bart Cummings
No list of Australian horse training greats is complete without Bart Cummings, the man once known as the ‘Cups King’. Cummings got his training license in 1953, but he had to wait for a good five years to taste success in Australian horse racing for the very first time. The second success for Cummings came in 1965 when Ziema and Light Fingers, two horses trained by him, triumphed at the Melbourne Cup quinella. But, this was the start of a series of wins for Cummings who went on to claim twelve Melbourne cups as trainer after that. Cummings was given a NSW state funeral and his name is etched in the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. This is enough evidence of his stature.
Damien Oliver
A man who’s won everything there is to win in Australian horse racing, Damien Oliver is one of the few jockeys to be indicted in the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. Averaging a win every 6 and a half rides, Damien Oliver is one of the best jockeys Australia has ever seen and this is why we’ve included him in our list of Australia’s greatest horse racing personalities.
There you have it—the three most notable personalities of Australian horse racing. The aforementioned -individuals were the best at what they did and that’s why followers of Australian horse racing can never forget them.