With over 120 Group 1 winners, Damien Oliver is set to call time

When it comes to winning Australian horse races, few jockeys have been as synonymous with success as Damien Oliver has over the past three decades. 

The veteran jockey is still picking up some of the very best rides available and he is a force to be reckoned with in every race he enters for both punters and online betting platforms. 

Father time has caught up with him though and he is set to walk away from racing following his final Ascot meeting on December 16th.  

There are few jobs in world sport more cut-throat than being an active jockey and Damien Oliver has been plying his trade with aplomb in the industry since 1990. 

A fierce competitor, Oliver simply never knows when he is beat, but he has decided the 2023 season will be his last, an announcement that resonated with both punters and Aussie bookmakers. 
 
Quitting at the top 

It is often the dream of any sports person to be able to walk away from their chosen venture at the sharp end of the game and for Damien Oliver, it is a dream that is becoming reality. 
 
The 16th December meeting at Ascot is the final big contest of 2023 and Damien Oliver will surely be the toast of the racing world throughout the day. 
 
Whilst Oliver hasn’t enjoyed a Group 1 success for a couple of seasons, he remains in contention in all of the biggest races and how fitting it would be if he could grab some handy wins on his final day as a professional jockey. 
 
10 excellent races adorn the card at Ascot, which is sure to be packed with punters – all paying homage to one of the greatest jockeys Australia has ever produced. 
 
Gold Rush Glory? 

The biggest race on the card as Ascot on December 16th is the Gold Rush and punters and online betting sites alike have been lining up in pursuit of the hot tips ahead of the contest. 
 
Aptly renamed the Damien Oliver Gold Rush in 2023, the Group 2 contest carries a prize pot of A$1.5 million and there are some of the biggest and best horses in contention. 
 
With the likes of Ayrton, Super Smirk and Munhamek in the mix, it should be a frenetic encounter over 1400m and Damien Oliver would love to snare one last big race win, on his concluding race day. 
 
Big names out in force 

Such is the grandeur with which Damien Oliver is held within the Australian horse racing fraternity that a whole host of big names are heading to Ascot to pay homage to him. 
 
Old foe and close friend Craig Williams has set out his intention to join Oliver on his final race meet, whilst a whole host of Melbourne-based jockeys are also looking to make the trip over to Ascot. 
 
With the great and the good from across Australian racing out in force, it should be a memorable day at Ascot, with the ultimate tribute paid to Damien Oliver, in recognition of his incredible contribution to Australian horse racing. 

The final curtain call for Damien Oliver is upon us and how fitting that the great man has the Gold Rush named after him, at his home course at Ascot. 
 
Stars will be out in force to pay tribute to Oliver, who will be the toast of the town in Perth, as he bows out at the very top of Australian racing.