From today's Melbourne Herald Sun
Champion jockey Damien Oliver has always run his own race in a turbulent racing industry
by: Jon Anderson
From: Herald Sun
November 21, 2012 12:00AM
Damien Oliver banned for ten months
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Damien Oliver banned for ten months
Champion jockey Damien Oliver has been banned from horse racing for 10 months.
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Jockey Damien Oliver allegedly backed rival horse
Damien Oliver has been hit with allegations of betting on a rival horse during this race in 2010.
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Damien Oliver
Damien Oliver after clinching his first Emirates Stakes with Happy Trails this month to expand the bank balance before his suspension. Picture: Jay Town Source: Herald Sun
Damien Oliver
Oliver addresses the media after he was banned from riding for 10 months. Picture: Andrew Tauber Source: Herald Sun
DAMIEN Oliver has never come cheap since establishing himself among the elite in his profession 20-odd years ago.
It has always been a case of "you want the best, then you pay for the best" when it comes to employing the services of the man known as "Ollie", who was disqualified yesterday for eight months.
Take one example from a spring carnival around the turn of this century. Oliver had ridden a horse in typically brilliant fashion to a major race win, much to the delight of the syndicate that owned it.
So you can imagine the surprise of one of the owners when he received a call from Oliver that went along these lines.
"I've let you off this time, but normally I require a big sling," Oliver is alleged to have said.
The horse was set for another feature race with Oliver on board.
"I reckon your horse can win, but it will require my best ride," he said.
"So if we win, you need to bring a bag to (a city hotel) with the money in it."
Oliver's figure amounted to more than $25,000, well above the usual 5 per cent of prizemoney jockeys earn.
The owner felt like telling Oliver he could get stuffed, or words to that effect.
But one of his co-owners believed karma played an important role, so when Oliver piloted the horse to the second big win, the request was reluctantly agreed to.
Oliver ended up earning closer to $50,000 for a win that normally would have netted him about $20,000.
And those who know Port Melbourne-based Oliver say the money would have been put to good use, given he has always been both financially prudent and astute, "a multi-multi millionaire" one acquaintance estimated yesterday.
Then there's the story about him entering a menswear store where there was a sale of $20 shirts. "How much for cash?" is the alleged question from Oliver.
Clearly it will hurt deeply that a potential $400,000 will be unavailable in the eight months he is missing.
In the 2007-08 season, horses ridden by Oliver earned $9.3 million in prizemoney, worth $460,000 to the jockey before slings. And that's not including endorsements.
Married to Trish, whom he met at an airport when the pair were picking up their respective surfboards, the pair have three children - daughters Nialli, 9, and Zahra, 5, and son Luke, 2.
Despite his transgression, he remains respected in racing's inner sanctum, given a jockey betting on a race is common practice, but rarely uncovered.
A measure of his standing is the respect afforded him on arrival at trackwork each weekday morning.
Oliver is not the life of the party, but someone who is always included and happy to laugh along with the never-ending racetrack humour.
A watcher rather than a instigator, Oliver was born to be a jockey, given his late father, Ray, was a leading hoop in Western Australia.
But former jockey Alf Matthews said, as much as he respected Oliver's abilities, he wasn't the most natural he had seen.
"Peter Cook was just a natural, Paddy Payne. Frankie Dettori was born to be a jockey, as was Darren Gauci. Damien Oliver's greatest asset is his mental toughness," said Matthews, adding that would also be the key to a successful return.
"The suspension is a grain of salt. It will be forgotten and the suspension will act as a freshen up. Yes, he broke a significant rule and as such deserves to be punished, but it's not as if he has deliberately caused bodily harm to someone."
Bruce Clark, who is best known as a TV and radio host on racing channels TVN and Radio Sport National, became Oliver's manager 15 years ago. Clark quickly realised he was dealing with a highly competitive person.
"Whether he is riding in a maiden at Kyneton or a Group 1 at Flemington, he is equally as hard to beat," Clark said.
"And it was the same on the golf course. He would 'press' while standing over a curling 30-footer on the 18th green and then go ahead and hole the putt.
"I would be very surprised if he doesn't come back because I'm sure he'll want to retire on his own terms. And he will want to ride 100 Group 1 winners, currently sitting on 97."
Oliver's talents were first noted by the Freedman clan when Anthony Freedman took a horse over to Perth for the carnival.
Oliver's older brother, Jason, had ridden for the Freedmans.
"So we were aware there was a younger brother who could ride a bit," Lee Freedman said.
"Anthony liked what he saw so Damien came over and started riding for us. How do I rate him as a jockey? Right at the top.
"He has what the really good ones have, that big-game mentality. Couple that with natural riding ability and you have a brilliant jockey."
Lee Freedman and Oliver remain friendly, even if their paths rarely cross as Freedman is now based in Sydney.
"I saw him over the spring and enjoy his company. But I didn't discuss it (the betting charge) with him. The rules are clear and it is what it is," Freedman said.
"As to whether he comes back, it will be a matter of where his head is at."
If he doesn't, he will surf a lot, given he and Trish have a house at Torquay. He will also try to improve his single-figure golf handicap, plus watch his beloved West Coast Eagles when possible.
But the reality is he will be back. He has always said the best advice he received was "quitters never win and winners never quit".
And he has come back from some horrific injuries, the worst being a broken spine in a race fall at Moonee Valley in 2005.
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