You’d wait a long time to get a quartet like this together again. The former star jockeys caught up by chance on the Gold Coast on Boxing Day, and thankfully somebody suggested a candid photo.
From the left it’s Kevin Langby, Peter Cook, Mick Dittman and Larry Olsen - all members of the same generation of jockeys, and all champions in their own right. Langby was spending Xmas with daughter Sharon on the Gold Coast, while the others live in the region. Kevin texted a copy of the photo to his good mate Steve Hart, who kindly “flicked” it to me.
The brilliant jockeys left an indelible mark on Australian racing between the early 70’s and early 90’s. To pay due credit to their complete riding records would require some intense research. Let me simply say they won four Melbourne Cups, five Cox Plates and seven Golden Slippers between them. That should cover it!
Cook and Langby on the final day of the 1972/73 season. Langby won the premiership by 1.5 wins - courtesy Bradley Photos.
Larry made a miracle comeback to win the 1987 Melbourne Cup on Kensei.
Mick wore the Tulloch Lodge colours many times during his Sydney stint with T.J. Smith - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.