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Earlier this week I overheard a colleague proclaim there would “never be another Roy Higgins”. This colleague, who is not a racing fan, went on…
“He’s the greatest jockey ever and by a mile. He had so much class and poise. And he was a fine, upstanding character off the track, too.”
After pondering my colleague’s statement for a second I responded, “What about Damien Oliver?”
Upon hearing Ollie’s name, my colleague scoffed: “You can never compare Roy Higgins to Damien Oliver.”
And when I asked why, she brought up Oliver’s $10,000 brain fade, which cost him a ten-month enforced holiday in 2012.
But Oliver’s riding skills are good enough to have him mentioned in the same racing pages as the great Higgins.
I’m from another generation to Higgins but I’ve watched the tapes and heard the yarns. Obviously he was one the very best of his era, possibly the best of all time.
As a 30-year-old racing tragic, who has grown up watching Oliver do his thing in the saddle, Oliver is the best jockey I’ve actually seen live. Numero uno!
His decision-making under pressure and ability to make the correct split-second call in a situation where others might simply go blank is what stands out most for me.
Interestingly, Bart Cummings was quoted as saying in this fantastic Les Carlyon tribute to ‘The Professor’, that a “sense of what was going to happen” is what set Higgins apart from his rivals.
Here’s a hypothetical situation: Let’s put two four-year-old Black Caviars in the one race over 1000m with a bunch of other horses.
Let’s start the two Black Caviars from the same massive barrier stall (no idea how we’d make this work, but let’s just pretend it’s happening on Saturday at Flemington), stick a resurrected Roy – in 1965 Melbourne Cup winning form – on one and the same Ollie who will actually be riding at Randwick on Saturday on the other.
Who wins?
This site is no place for fence-sitters. So I should try and make a call.
Umm… sorry folks, I can’t. Actually… nup, still can’t. I’ll take the quinella, thanks!
I guess an interesting debate to come out of this article will be the accuracy of my description of Oliver as the best jockey in the business right now.
Some might argue Hugh Bowman, Glen Boss, Jim Cassidy, Nash Rawiller, Craig Newitt, Craig Williams, Clare Lindop or Chad Schofield is the best right now?
I’ll make my big call here: Chad Schofield will be the man to replace Oliver as best rider I’ve seen. But I expect Chad to take ten years to arrest the gold baton from Ollie’s keeping.
Perhaps there’s someone else you have in mind as the best jockey in the country? James McDonald or Damien Browne anyone?
All those jockeys are great, some are champions, but I’ll take Ollie any day as my main man in a big race.
Your Honour, the first piece of evidence I call on is the tape of Ollie’s ride on Fiorente in the 2013 Melbourne Cup.
To borrow a line from Lionel Hutz: I rest my case.
Before I wind this up, let’s go back to my colleague and her view on D. Oliver.
I was able to convince my colleague of Oliver’s ability as a jockey, but there wasn’t much I could say to try and put a positive spin on a hoop backing an opposition horse that not only ended up beating said hoop’s mount but actually won the race in question.
And no matter what you think of the severity (or lack thereof) of his ten-month ban, it is this indiscretion that, for many people, will forever keep Oliver out of Higgins’ company.
Is that fair? You be the judge.
I’m really interested to hear your thoughts about the best jockey(s) you’ve ever seen. And feel free to try and predict an outcome in my fantasy Higgins against Oliver Black Caviar race.
The bookie has just called in and he’s feeling as generous as ever: both are even-money equal favourites!
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