The posthumous recognition of Darby McCarthy OAM has continued today with induction into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.
Almost 12 months since his death, the trailblazing hoop, who achieved widespread acclaim during the 1950s and 1960s after riding across the globe, was named as one of 10 inductees for the class of 2021.
Other inductees included Red Anchor, winner of the 1984 Sires' Produce Stakes, and veteran Sydney trainer Les Bridge, whose Group 1 wins include the 2010 Doomben 10,000 with Hot Danish.
During a decorated riding career, McCarthy rode more than 1000 winners including three Stradbroke Handicaps, a Brisbane Cup and the Doomben 10,000.
In Sydney, he won the 1969 AJC Derby on Divide And Rule and the Epsom with Broker's Tip on the same day before riding across Europe including Paris and Royal Ascot.
A proud descendant of the Mithika people, McCarthy was one of 13 children and was born in the sandhills outside of Cunnamulla in western Queensland.
Having left school at the age of nine to work on a station, McCarthy’s passion for horses soon developed and his natural skills were recognised before enrolling in in Queensland’s jockey school when he was 11.
He would go on to be crowned the champion of the Queensland apprentice jockey school in 1960 and 1961.
“I think everyone will agree that the calibre of this year’s inductees into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame is outstanding,” Chair of the ARHOF Selection Panel Brendan Parnell said.
“We look forward to honouring those living and past by acknowledging their impressive achievements on and off the turf and their world-renowned contributions to the world of racing.”
In 2004, McCarthy became just the fourth jockey to be inducted into the Queensland Hall of Fame, following in the footsteps of Mick Dittman, George Moore and Neville Sellwood, before being awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for his services to racing and his work with indigenous youth in 2016.
He spent his final years on the Darling Downs and continued to serve as a role model, particularly for the Indigenous community, and was inducted in the Aboriginal and Islander Sports Hall of Fame.
In the weeks following his death, McCarthy was posthumously honoured by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk as a ‘Queensland Great.’
Click here to see full details of this year’s inductees into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.