Damien Oliver moved within one premiership of joining Roy Higgins and Bill Duncan after wrapping up the 2014/15 Melbourne Jockeys’ Premiership at Geelong on Sunday.
The Victorian record of 11 titles is jointly held by Duncan, who won his premierships in the 1920s and 30’s, while Higgins won his first in 1965 and the last in 1978.
Oliver ended the season with 60 winners ahead of Craig Williams on 58 and Dwayne Dunn on 57 to give him his 10th premiership.
Having won the first race of the day aboard Sebring Sally, the worst case scenario for Oliver was a tie had Williams won on his remaining three rides.
Speaking at the end of the day Oliver told Racing Victoria he was delighted to have won another premiership.
“I’m rapt,” he said. “It’s been exciting battling it out the last month with Dwayne and Craig and it’s great to get it.
“Both Craig and Dwayne are very competitive riders and very good riders and I think it brought out the best in all of us.”
Oliver said he did not think he would win 10 Melbourne premierships when he started riding.
“It’s something I never thought I’d achieve as a young jockey coming through the ranks.
“To win my tenth as a 43 year-old and won my first at 19, it’s been a long and successful career.”
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