News

Denham's life all about racing

15th Dec 2009

Herald Sun - Monday, 14 December 2009

Born in Campsie on August 24, 1924, Jack Denham had moderate success as a jockey before his increasing weight forced him out of the saddle in 1943.

He took out his training licence five years later and had his first win with Eloquent at Newcastle in 1949.

His first Group One success came six years later when Persian Link claimed the 1955 Doomben Cup.

His career moved to another level when he became trainer for high-profile owner Stan Fox at Nebo Lodge, a position he held for 10 years, training more than 1000 winners.

For six successive years between 1971 and 1976 Denham was runner-up to TJ Smith in the Sydney trainers' premiership.

He was to win the premiership later in 1990-91 and again in 1992-93.

From 1980 onwards Denham was closely associated with popular owners Geoff and Beryl White winning a Golden Slipper for them with Marscay.

He also won the 1996 Epsom Handicap and 1997 Yalumba Stakes with Filante, and the 1991 Australian Guineas and AJC Australian Oaks with five-time Group One winner Triscay, both raced by the Whites.

But Denham's greatest triumphs came with the Nick Moraitis-owned champion Might And Power.

The gelding scored a record-breaking win in the 1997 Caulfield Cup, thrashing his rivals by 7-1/2 lengths and setting the scene for a thrilling Melbourne Cup.

Many doubted whether Might And Power could lead all the way over the gruelling 3200 metre Cup journey but regular rider Jim Cassidy didn't hesitate to take him to the front.

The gelding kicked strongly in the straight but Doriemus surged in the last 50 metres, diving at Might And Power on the line and even jockey Greg Hall thought he had won.

But the photo finish showed Might And Power had prevailed by a short half-head.

The win was justice for Denham who went within a half head of winning the Melbourne Cup nine years earlier with Natski who just failed to reel in giant New Zealand mare Empire Rose.

In 1998, Might And Power added the Cox Plate to his record to give Denham the honour of being one of a handful of trainers to have claimed racing's Grand Slam of the Golden Slipper, Caulfield Cup, Melbourne Cup and Cox Plate.

In a career lasting 60 years, Denham trained around 4,000 winners, 59 of those at Group One level.

His most recent was Metal Bender who claimed the Randwick-Rosehill Guineas double in March.

Denham was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2005.

His son Allan is also a successful Group One trainer at Sydney's Rosehill Racecourse.