Simmering in the jockeys’ rooms is an unspoken clash of racing titans as Damien Oliver and Jim Cassidy both sit precariously on the edge for their 100th Group 1 win.
The past two decades of racing would be incomplete without Damien Oliver’s dominance in Melbourne and Jim Cassidy’s in Sydney.
Each with their own cities, the two have forged legendary careers in the saddle as they approach their 100th Group 1 winners.
Hoping to bring up over their ton over the coming months, Oliver currently sits on 97 and Cassidy on 98.
Last year, Oliver had a storied carnival, with revelations of his betting scandal exposed prior to the Caulfield carnival.
Ignoring the media, Oliver continued doing what he did best – ride winners.
Various other trainers stuck by him by continuing to give him rides, while others wanted nothing to do with him.
Oliver had originally been booked to ride Green Moon throughout the carnival but was quickly sacked by Lloyd Williams when the scandal broke. Green Moon would later go on to win the Melbourne Cup.
Putting distractions behind him by riding Commanding Jewel to victory in the Thousand Guineas, Oliver bought up his 95th Group 1.
Eight days later, he led all the way in the VRC Derby aboard Fiveandahalfstar for an unlikely victory and his 96th Group 1.
On the final day of the spring carnival, Oliver rode Happy Trails to victory in the Emirates Stakes for his 97th.
Overall it had been a successful spring for Oliver with those three victories, but contentiousness clouded his performances because Racing Victoria surprisingly allowed him to ride throughout the carnival, despite his involvement in a betting scandal.
Following his 97th Group 1 winner, he was finally stood down for ten months but assured he would be back for the following spring carnival.
It was a successful autumn for Cassidy, who took the lead as Oliver sat on the sidelines serving his suspension. He unexpectedly bought up his 96th Group 1 in the Ranvet Stakes, when he rode Foreteller to victory as a longshot chance.
His 97th was a lot more certain when he rode Pierro to victory in the Canterbury Stakes, with regular rider Nash Rawiller honouring his ride on More Joyous in the same race.
In the following weeks, 19 Group 1 races were run across Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane, with Cassidy unable to claim victories in any.
That was until the Queensland Derby, when he had the ride on Hawkspur as the hot favourite who duly saluted to bring up Cassidy’s 98th Group 1 victory.
Fittingly, Cassidy and Oliver are the only jockeys in the Australian Racing Hall of Fame to still be riding today.
For the upcoming carnival, both jockeys have already been booked for Group 1 horses.
Oliver has been booked for the rides aboard Bel Sprinter, Commanding Jewel and Happy Trails, who are already Group 1 winners.
Due to the conditions of Oliver’s suspension, he has been allowed to work horses at track work, but cannot resume race riding until September 13.
Happy Trails worked home nicely in the Memsie Stakes and Oliver will take him around on Saturday in the Group 2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes with an eye towards back-to-back Emirates Stakes.
Bel Sprinter will be targeted at the Group 1 Moir Stakes, Mankikato Stakes and Patinack Farm Classic.
With a perfect five wins from five first-up attempts, the Moir Stakes on September 27 will be a big chance to be Oliver to get one closer to the ton.
Leon Corstens had no hesitation booking Oliver to partner Commanding Jewel and Ben Melham could consider himself unlucky to lose the ride after riding her to victory on Saturday in the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes on Saturday.
Commanding Jewel has one eye towards the Cox Plate but other Group 1s more likely to be part of her campaign are the Toorak Handicap and either the Myer Classic or Emirates Stakes.
As one of Chris Waller’s favoured jockeys, Cassidy will have no shortage of rides throughout the Sydney carnival and could bring up his 99th Group 1 victory as soon as Saturday.
The first Group 1 of the Sydney spring will be run on Saturday with Cassidy as the ride on Zoustar in The Golden Rose, who sits on the third line of betting.
He will also retain the ride on Hawkspur who he partnered to victory on Saturday in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes in impressive fashion.
Following that run, Hawkspur firmed into favouritism for the Caulfield Cup and third favourite for the Melbourne Cup.
On his way to Melbourne, Hawkspur is likely to have another run in Sydney, which will come in either the Group 1 Metropolitan Handicap or Group 3 Craven Plate. Cassidy will be hoping for the former.
Damien Oliver is three wins away from his 100th Group 1 victory while Jim Cassidy is two. Each will be itching to be the first one there.
Cassidy is nine years Oliver’s senior so over the course of their entire careers, Oliver has had a better strike rate at Group 1 level.
But to have been out of racing for ten months, Oliver’s lack of form and the positioning of Sydney’s carnival before Melbourne’s would lean towards Cassidy winning this race.
If things do not go to plan for Cassidy, he will head to Melbourne, where he and Oliver will be clashing head-to-head as the two legendary hoops inch closer to 100.
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