Champion jockey and Australian hall of fame member Jim ‘Jimmy’ Johnson has died at the age of 92.
Key points:
- Jim Johnson retired in 1976, having won 2,158 races as a jockey
- Johnson is one of the few jockeys to have won the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate
- He was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2009
Racing Victoria, the Victorian Jockeys’ Association and the Victoria Racing Club each acknowledged the sadness of the occasion and paid homage to the decorated hoop.
Johnson was a three-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey, having been successful on Gatum Gatum in 1963 and also in 1968 and 1969 on Rain Lover.
Johnson was also associated with champion Tobin Bronze aboard who he won a Caulfield Cup and two Cox Plates.
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Johnson won four Adelaide jockeys’ premierships before he relocated to Melbourne where he was champion jockey in 1966-67.
He rode in Singapore from 1970 to 1973, winning the jockeys’ title there in 1972 and 1973.
When he retired in 1976, he had ridden 2,158 winners and claimed his place as one of the greats of Australian racing.
Johnson was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall Of Fame in 2009.
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Racing Victoria chief executive Giles Thompson said Johnson was an exceptional jockey.
“Jimmy was a popular member of the racing community, a true gentleman and great ambassador for our sport long after his incredible success in the saddle.
“He was an active and passionate supporter of the racing industry in retirement as a regular face on the Melbourne Cup Tour and attendee at hall of fame functions.”
AAP
