News

Champion jockey George Moore elevated to Legend status in Hall of Fame ceremony

22nd May 2015

The Courier Mail - by Nathan Exelby - Thursday May 21, 2015

George Moore was elevated to Legend status in what was a huge night for Queensland racing icons at Thursday night’s Australian Racing Hall Of Fame ceremony in Brisbane.

Eleven new names were added to the Hall Of Fame, with jockey Glen Boss and trainer Brian Mayfield-Smith other Queenslanders to be recognised on stage.

Prolific NSW country jockey Robert Thompson joined Boss among the jockeys, while Phar Lap’s trainer Harry Telford and Melbourne’s Jim Maloney, trainer of the mighty Vain, were inducted to the training ranks.

Melbourne Cup winners Briseis and Dalray, international trail blazer Choisir and legendary stallion Danehill were the new horse inductees.

Revered racing writer Bert Lillye and prominent Philippine owner-breeder Eduardo Cojuangco are the newest members of the Associates club.

Mackay-born Moore becomes the seventh Legend in the Hall of Fame, following Phar Lap, Carbine, Makybe Diva, Bart Cummings, Tommy Smith and Scobie Breasley.

He was an inaugural inductee to the Hall of Fame in 2001 following a riding career that netted 119 Group 1 wins, including famous international races like the Arc de Triomphe and English Derby.

Moore, who died in 2008 at the age of 84, was also elected to the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1986.

Mayfield-Smith gained fame in 1985-86 when he dethroned the legend Tommy Smith in the race for the Sydney Premiership, a title he claimed another two times.

He worked in wildlife protection in Africa before ­returning to training in Melbourne, where he prepared another 10 Group 1 winners before his retirement in 2009.

Dalray also has a strong link to Queensland, being retired to Canning Downs Stud on the Darling Downs at the end of his racing career.

Boss and Thompson join Jimmy Cassidy and Damien Oliver as the only active riders among 37 jockeys in the Hall of Fame.

Both have mounts in Saturday’s Doomben 10,000.

In a career spanning over 40 years, Thompson has ridden more winners than any jockey in Australian history.

In 2008, he surpassed the Australian record of 3322 wins held by Jack Thompson and in May last year, his winning tally reached 4000.

Danehill has been the breed-shaping stallion of the modern era, siring 349 stakes winners, including 89 at Group 1 level.

Among his 170 sons and grandsons at stud is Choisir, who went to Royal Ascot and won the King’s Stand-Golden Jubilee double in 2003.

THE HONOUR ROLL

LEGEND

GEORGE MOORE

Champion jockey who won 10 riding premierships before winning major overseas races including the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the Epsom Derby and the Ascot Gold Cup. His total of 119 Group 1 wins is a record for an Australian jockey.

HORSES

BRISEIS — Star Geelong three-year-old filly who won the Victoria Derby, the Melbourne Cup and the VRC Oaks in the space of one week in 1876, a feat never equalled since.

CHOISIR — Trail-blazing sprinter who in 2003 became the first Australian horse to win at Royal Ascot in modern times when he won the King’s Stand Stakes and the Golden Jubilee Stakes.

DALRAY — Great Kiwi stayer who in the spring of 1952 he won the Metropolitan Handicap in Sydney, and the Mackinnon Stakes, Melbourne Cup and Queens Plate in Melbourne.

DANEHILL — One of the great stallions of all time. Shuttled to Australia and was leading sire nine times.

JOCKEYS

GLEN BOSS

Wins include three Melbourne Cups in a row, three Cox Plates and two Golden Slippers.

ROBERT THOMPSON

Veteran jockey who has ridden more winners than any other Australian jockey with his tally at over 4000 winners.

TRAINERS

BRIAN MAYFIELD-SMITH

Dethroned Tommy Smith as leading trainer in the 1980s in Sydney. Trained 39 Group 1 winners.

HARRY TELFORD

The trainer of the legendary Phar Lap.

JIM MOLONEY

Leading Melbourne trainer for many years. Best known for his association with Vain.

EDUARDO COJUANGCO

Philippines based owner and breeder who has had great success in Australia.

BERT LILLYE

Leading Sydney racing journalist from the mid 1930s to the mid 1980s.