Jack Purtell
Jack Purtell (1921 – 8 March 2017) was an Australian jockey who rode three Melbourne Cup winners.
Career
Purtell, known as 'Gentleman Jack’, rode his first race in 1936 at the age of 15.[1][2] He was an apprentice jockey to Ted Temby at his Mordialloc, Victoria stables. He won his first race on Bonus at Mentone, Victoria in April 1937.[3] Purtell rode more than 1700 winners including three Melbourne Cups. He was suspended only once.[4] The best horse he rode was Comic Court to 19 wins even though he opted not to ride it in the 1950 Melbourne Cup.[5][6][2] He won seven Melbourne Jockey Premierships - 1946/47, 1948/49, 1949/50, 1950/51, 1954/55, 1960/61 and 1961/62.[7] In January 1953, he suffered severe head injuries in a race fall at Caulfield Racecourse.[8][9]
Purtell rode Fighting Force when it triple dead-heated with both Pandie Sun and Ark Royal in the 1956 Hotham Handicap, a rare event in racing.[6] [10]
He retired in 1966 at the age of 45 and he became a Stipendiary Steward at the Victorian Racing Club until March 1981.[11][2][6] [4]
Purtell married in 1949 to Norma Giles and seven thousand people turned up to the church in Clifton Hill, Victoria.[12] He died on the Gold Coast, Queensland on 8 January 2017, aged 95.[5]
He was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2004.[1] A sculpture of Purtell by John Frith is held by the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. [8]
Major Wins
- Melbourne Cup - Hiraji (1947), Wodalla (1953), Rising Fast (1954)
- Cox Plate - Alister (1950), Bronton (1951), Rising Fast (1954), Ray Ribbon (1956)
- Caulfield Cup - Velocity (1941)
References
- ^ a b "Jack Purtell". Australian Racing Hall of Fame. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ a b c Stewart, Matt (9 March 2017). "RIP, Jack Purtell: late jockey 'Gentleman Jack' crossed racing's great divide". Herald Sun. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ "Jack Purtell: Melbourne Cup Winning Jockey". Kingston Historical website. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ a b Presnell, Max (8 December 2013). "Gentleman Jack was a master of the old school". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ a b "Three time Melbourne Cup winning jockey dies". Just Horse Racing website. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ a b c Eddy, Andrew. "Riding legend Jack Purtell passes away". Racing.com.
- ^ "Melbourne Jockey Premiership Past Winners". Racerate website. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ a b "Jack Purtell". National Portrait Gallery of Australia. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ "Jack Purtell gravely hurt". The Argus. 3 January 1953. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ "Triple dead-heat in the 1956 Hotham Handicap". The Age. 4 November 2006. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ "Jack Purtell saysgoodbye". Canberra Times. 9 March 1981. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ [ove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22724457 "7,000 RUSH CHURCH TO SEE PURTELL MARRIED"]. The Argus. 25 April 1949. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
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