Harry White (1944 – 21 October 2022) was an Australian jockey. He was one of the country's leading jockeys, especially in the 1970s, and was a four-time winner of the Melbourne Cup. He also won three Newmarket Handicaps, three Oakleigh Plates and three Futurity Stakes.
| Harry White | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Jockey |
| Born | 1944 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Died | (aged 78) |
| Career wins |
|
| Racing awards | |
| 4 × Melbourne Cup | |
| Honours | |
| Australian Racing Hall of Fame inductee | |
| Significant horses | |
Early life
editWhite was born in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1944.[1] His father was also a jockey who won the Caulfield Cup in 1943.[2][3] White was brought up by his grandparents and started working on riding track when he was a young teenager. His apprenticeship contract was revoked after he committed vandalism, but it was eventually reinstated after one year.[2] He won his first race at the Braybrook Handicap held at Flemington Racecourse in July 1959.[3]
Career
editWhite usually rode for the "cups king" Bart Cummings, George Hanlon, and Angus Armanasco.[4] He rode the winners of four Melbourne Cups – on Think Big (1974 and 1975) and Hyperno for Cummings (1979), as well as on Arwon for Hanlon in 1978. He tied Bobbie Lewis for most victories in that race.[1][4]
White was renowned for his judgment in long-distance events,[5][6] and for sleeping in the jockeys' room before riding in a race, regardless of how important it was.[5][7] He was also noted for preferring to use his hands rather than the whip, especially during the latter part of a race.[2] His record in sprint races includes wins in three Newmarket Handicaps, three Oakleigh Plates and three Futurity Stakes.[1] White also won the 1987 W. S. Cox Plate on Rubiton.[7]
Throughout his 35-year career, White registered 2,112 race wins,[8] 60 Group 1 wins,[4] and approximately 200 feature race wins.[1][3] He was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2003.[1]
Personal life
editWhite was married to Lauris White for over 40 years,[9] until her death from emphysema in January 2011.[9][10] Together, they had three children: Karen, Dean, and Brent.[4] After retiring in 1995, White resided with his family on a 200-hectare beef farm near Gisborne in Victoria. Two of his horses – Think Big and Hyperno – were buried there.[11] He ultimately sold the farm around the time of his wife's death.[9]
White went blind in his left eye after falling at the Caulfield Cup, a condition he disclosed only after retiring.[2] He was later diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in July 2003.[11][2] He died on 21 October 2022.[4][12] His son Dean White stated that his father suffered from a long battle with multiple sclerosis and died from breathing problems caused by the disease. [13]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Harry White". Racing Victoria. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Bartley, Patrick (10 May 2022). "Harry White: a jockey with true heart and gentle hands". Victoria Racing Club. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
- ^ a b c "Harry White". Network 10. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "Four-time Melbourne Cup winning jockey Harry White passes away aged 78". Victoria Racing Club. 21 October 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
- ^ a b Presnell, Max (31 October 2009). "White was more than all right on Hyperno". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 22 October 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- ^ "Harry White: Australian Jockey Champion Whose Great Career Spanned Over 30 Years". Pro Group Racing. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- ^ a b Nicolussi, Christian (22 October 2022). "Max a happy Bunny after Golden Mile salutes in Callander-Presnell". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 22 October 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- ^ "Good Kah-ma". Herald Sun. Melbourne. 21 February 2021. p. 78. ProQuest 2491630045. Retrieved 21 October 2022 – via ProQuest.
- ^ a b c Dunn, Adrian (26 October 2010). "Heartbreak Harry Hero to a generation but life's tougher now for Melbourne Cup legend". Herald Sun. Melbourne. p. 5. ProQuest 759720828. Retrieved 21 October 2022 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Nicholson, Rod (23 January 2011). "Rails Run". Herald Sun. Melbourne. p. 73. ProQuest 846758039. Retrieved 21 October 2022 – via ProQuest.
- ^ a b Oakes, Daniel (19 October 2003). "Illness won't stop White's charity honour". The Age. Melbourne. p. 10. ProQuest 367388874. Retrieved 21 October 2022 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Gardiner, Gilbert (22 October 2022). "Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Harry White dies, aged 78". Herald Sun. Melbourne. Archived from the original on 21 October 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- ^ White, Harry. "How did Harry White die?". Mediotopics. Retrieved 13 June 2023.