From Phar Lap’s jockey to the Jamie Melham, eleven Australian riders who didn’t just win races – they changed history.
Career: 1988–2023
Retired with 129 Australian Group 1 wins – the most in history at the time – across a 35-year career that yielded 3,189 wins in total. Won the Melbourne Cup three times, the Caulfield Cup four times, the Cox Plate twice and the Golden Slipper once, completing the Australian grand slam. Won the Melbourne Jockeys’ Premiership ten times and the Scobie Breasley Medal a record 14 times, becoming the most successful Melbourne Cup Carnival rider of all time with 26 Group 1 wins across the four days.
Career: 2009–present
In March 2026, became the first jockey in Australian history to ride 130 Group 1 winners, surpassing Oliver’s record with a three-Group-1 treble at Rosehill. At 32, the youngest jockey ever to reach 100 Group 1 wins – a milestone only five riders in Australian history have achieved. Named Longines World Jockey of the Year in 2022, 2024 and 2025.
Career: 2012–present
In 2020/21, became the first jockey – male or female – to ride 100 winners in a single Melbourne Metropolitan season, finishing with 105. In spring 2025, aboard Half Yours, became the first female jockey to win the Caulfield Cup, then the second female jockey to win the Lexus Melbourne Cup — the first woman to complete the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double.
Career: 1999–2024
On 3 November 2015, became the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup, guiding 100-1 outsider Prince Of Penzance to one of the great upsets in the race’s history. Only the fourth woman ever to ride in the event. Retired with more than 700 career wins and five Group 1 victories.
Career: 1990–2021
The only jockey in history to win three consecutive Melbourne Cups – all aboard the mighty Makybe Diva in 2003, 2004 and 2005 – and the only jockey to win three Cups on the same horse. Accumulated 90 Group 1 wins across a career that also included four Cox Plates and two Golden Slippers.
Career: 1997–present
The first jockey to win four consecutive Cox Plates, all with champion mare Winx from 2015 to 2018 – a record within a record. Partnered Winx to 25 of her world-record 25 Group 1 wins. In 2017, became the first Australian jockey to win the IFHA Longines World’s Best Jockey award, and rode his 100th Group 1 winner in 2022.
Career: 2000–present
In January 2025, he became the jockey who has won the most races in Hong Kong racing history, riding his 1,814th winner to surpass Douglas Whyte’s long-standing record. By June 2026 had reached 2,000 Hong Kong winners, a first in the sport's history. Eight-time Hong Kong Champion Jockey, holder of the single-season record with 179 wins in 2022/23, and the only jockey to have won all 12 Group 1 races.
Career: 1997–present
When he won the 2000 Melbourne Cup aboard Brew at age 20, still an apprentice, it was his first Group 1 win. Went on to win three Melbourne Cups across three different horses for three different trainers, and rode 323 winners across five seasons in the UK and Europe.
Career: 1998–present
Rode Black Caviar to 22 of her 25 consecutive wins, including the legendary Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2012 — the race that introduced the unbeaten champion to the world. Won the Melbourne Jockeys’ Premiership in three consecutive seasons from 2009/10 to 2011/12.
Career: 1959–1995
The only other jockey to win four Melbourne Cups, aboard Think Big in 1974 and 1975, Arwon in 1978 and Hyperno in 1979. Won the Melbourne Jockeys’ Premiership four times and accumulated 60 Group 1 wins across a 35-year career.
Career: 1907–1936
Rode Phar Lap to 27 wins from 30 races, including the 1930 Melbourne Cup, and won six Victoria Derbies – four consecutively from 1928 to 1931. Nicknamed The Master, his name became the sport’s highest compliment: to this day, a perfectly executed ride is still described as ‘riding it like J. Pike.’
