Scobie Breasley

Australian legend is no more
By Tom Krish

December 25, 2006

Scobie Breasley, one of the most recognized jockeys of the 20th century and an Australian icon, passed away last Thursday in a Melbourne hospital. He was 92.

Scobie Breasley started riding in Australia before moving to England where he was hugely successful. He rode a total of 3,251 winners in his career, 2,161 of those came in England and Europe while he was victorious 1,090 times in his native Australia. He was champion jockey four times in England in 1957, 1961, 1962 and 1963.

'He was an all time great," said Peter O'Sullivan, BBC announcer at one time. Breasley rode Sullivan's horses with distinction.

Breasley won five Caulfield Cups in Australia. He won the Arc de Triomphe with the Vincent O'Brien-trained Ballymoss in 1958. In 1964, he won the Epsom Derby with Santa Claus. At 52, he steered Charlottown to victory in the 1966 Epsom Derby. He won all the major stakes in the British racing calendar. He did not have a winner in the Melbourne Cup.

Lester Piggott was a contemporary of Scobie Breasley. "We rode against each other for a long time. We had the pick of the rides. We carved it up between us, really," Piggott said in a statement.

In 2003, on Derby Day at Epsom Downs, Scobie Breasley was the guest of honor. He was in the parade ring and the jockeys, as a group, went to him and greeted him. I had the honour of saying 'hello' to him. He could not walk on his own and was using a walker. Kieren Fallon won the 2003 Derby with Kris Kin.