THE KING IS RETIRED, LONG LIVE THE KING
WHY NOW?
The great jockey hasn’t ridden since December and says his son’s fledgling career as an apprentice is one he’d be happy to follow instead.
Lachlan King will represent Australia at the Longines Prix Future Racing Stars in France next month.
HOW DID HIS RACING CAREER END?
Under the Moonee Valley lights in December, he steered The Big Labrownski to 10th place in a Benchmark 64. A fortnight earlier, he rode his last winner at Wodonga while his final city winner came almost a year ago in the Quezette Stakes at Caulfield.
HOW GOOD WAS HE AT HIS BEST?
In 1991, aged in his early 20s, King steered Let’s Elope to a Caulfield Cup-Mackinnon Stakes-Melbourne Cup treble and also won the Victoria Derby that same year.
In 2002, the respected hoop grabbed a three-year-old treble with victories in the Caulfield Guineas, Thousand Guineas and Victoria Derby.
He was also capable of churning out consistent rides, being awarded the Scobie Breasley Medal as Melbourne’s best jockey in 1997.
WHAT ABOUT IN OTHER BIG RACES?
He enjoyed major winners in Sydney including Helenus in the Rosehill Guineas (2003) and Serenade Rose in 2006 Arrowfield Stud Stakes and AJC Australian Oaks.
Despite winning the Cox Plate on Fields Of Omagh in 2003, he was not able to complete the Grand Slam of Australian racing in the Golden Slipper.
Overall he rode more than 50 Group One winners here and overseas, book-ended by wins at Morphettville – in the 1990 South Australian Oaks (Gamine) and the 2010 Robert Sangster Stakes (Rostova).
WHERE DID HE RIDE OVERSEAS?
King enjoyed stints in the UK, Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore where he took the John Meagher-trained Arenti to a Group One win in 2006.
1991 Caulfield Cup, Melbourne Cup, Mackinnon Stakes – Let’s Elope
1991 Victoria Derby – Star Of The Realm
2002 Caulfield Guineas, Victoria Derby – Helenus
2003 Cox Plate – Fields Of Omagh
2005 VRC Oaks – Serenade Rose
2006 Arrowfield Stud Stakes, AJC Australian Oaks – Serenade Rose
1997 Scobie Breasley award
1996-97 Melbourne Jockeys’ Premiership
