Oliver a Runaway Winner in Scobie Breasley Medal

Wednesday, 21 August 2002 00:00

As expected champion Melbourne jockey Damien Oliver has scored a runaway win in the 2002 Scobie Breasley Medal, for Victoria's most brilliant jockey of the season.

For Oliver his fourth medal win tonight sent the record books flying, by polling the highest total and winning by the largest margin in history.

Not surprisingly Oliver's best polling came throughout the carnival times. He scored the majority of his points during the spring and autumn parts of the season.

When the final votes were read out for the start of the season Oliver topped the list with 91 votes, some 35 points more than his nearest rival Kerrin McEvoy. Nash Rawiller (49), Darren Gauci (44) and Brett Prebble (36) filled out the top five.

Oliver beat his previous record number of votes of 89, when he won the medal in 1999.

Reece Wheeler finished as the highest polling apprentice with 27 points.

The leading rider said he was delighted to win the award after what had been a great season.

"It's been a wonderful year," Oliver said.

The leading rider admitted to feeling a bit of pressure coming to tonight's award.

"There was a little bit of pressure there because everyone expected me to win," he said. "And it's just great to win this great award named in honour of a great gentleman and former champion in Scobie," he added.

"I'm still chasing the fifth Caulfield Cup and I'd like to share that record with you," he said with a smile to Breasley who is one ahead of Oliver in the Cup record with five wins.

Oliver thanked many people including his fellow rival jockeys who he said helped him in his record breaking season.

"Congratulations must go to all vote getters and all of the jockeys, they really help to push me harder."

"It's difficult to keep everyone happy all the time. But a lot of people stuck with me during the year and I have to really thank them for that."

Oliver also congratulated the winner of the Tommy Corrigan medal Brett Scott.

"It was great to see you come back. Noone deserves it more than you," he said to the leading jumps jockey.

Scobie Breasley, who the medal is named in honour of, said Oliver was a very worthy winner.

"Damien is a great jockey. One of the world's top jockeys and I am delighted he has won my medal for the fourth time and as i say he deserves it," Breasley said. "He's the best jockey and I congratulate him immensely."

When asked to compare Oliver against some of the greats of all time Breasley rated the modern day star as one of the best.

"I think Damien is a great jockey and he's still young. If possible he is going to better and I would put him in the category of the old timers like Bill Duncan, Jim Pike and Harold Badger."

TOP TEN VOTEGETTERS

Damien Oliver 91
Kerrin McEvoy 56
Nash Rawiller 49
Darren Gauci 44
Brett Prebble 36
Greg Childs 34
Steven Arnold 30
Patrick Payne 28
Reece Wheeler 27
Stephen Baster 24

SEASONAL BREAK DOWNS
Top Five Votegetters

WINTER

(June/July 2002)

Nash Rawiller 16

Reece Wheeler 15

Craig Newitt 11

Darren Gauci 10

Greg Childs 9

 

AUTUMN

(April/May 2002)

Damien Oliver 12

Kerrin McEvoy 10

Vincent Hall 8

Steven Arnold 6

Mark Zahra 6

 

AUTUMN

(February/March 2002)

Kerrin McEvoy 17

Damien Oliver 13

Scott Seamer 8

Danny Nikolic 8

Steven Arnold 7

 

SUMMER

(December 2001/January 2002)

Nash Rawiller 15

Patrick Payne 13

Darren Gauci 12

Brett Prebble 12

Rhys McLeod 11

 

SPRING

(October/November 2001)

Damien Oliver 24

Scott Seamer 10

Patrick Payne 8

Darren Gauci 8

Greg Childs 6

 

PRE-SPRING

(August/September 2001)

Damien Oliver 34

Nash Rawiller 14

Kerrin McEvoy 13

Brett Prebble 11

Greg Childs 8

 

PICS - Quentin Lang.