Ollie appreciating good times even more in twilight of his career

THIRTY years is an incredible amount of time to be at the top of any sport and Damien Oliver is a long way from being done as his victory in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes indicated at the weekend.

Seabrook ridden by Damien Oliver (right) wins race 6, the Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes during the All Aged Stakes Day at Royal Randwick racecourse in Sydney, Saturday, April 21, 2018. (AAP Image/David Moir) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

THIRTY years is an incredible amount of time to be at the top of any sport and Damien Oliver is a long way from being done.

His victory in the Champagne Stakes in Sydney on Saturday — 20 years after he last won the race — was Oliver’s 113th career Group 1 victory, with 109 coming in Australia and four in New Zealand.

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That’s the confirmed figure too after several other numbers floated around in the wake of Saturday’s win on star filly Seabrook.

It took the 45-year-old hoop past legendary jockey Roy Higgins (108), and now has Oliver, who had his first race ride in 1988, within touching distance of George Moore’s all-time record of 119 Australian Group 1 wins.

Oliver continues to thrive in the big races, having secured his first Group 1 win on Sub Mariner at Caulfield in 1990, in the race now known as the Rupert Clarke Stakes.

Jockey Damien Oliver gives his latest Group 1 success the thumbs up. Picture: AAP

Since then he’s compiled a compelling resume which includes three Melbourne Cups, four Caulfield Cups, two Cox Plates and a Golden Slipper, completing the grand slam of Australian racing.

He’s fifth in this season’s Victorian jockeys premiership, but conceded he was savouring every moment knowing that he’s closer to the end of his career than the beginning.

“When you are growing up you hear older people saying that you career goes quick. At the time you are not sure about that. But as you do get older you realise it does go quicker than you think it does,” Oliver told RSN on Monday.

“Getting to the twilight, you do appreciate it more as it gets close to the end, you appreciate those big victories when the come along.”

Damien Oliver and Seabrook combine to win the $500,000 Champagne Stakes. Picture: Getty Images

Oliver will be eyeing off major success during the Adelaide carnival over the next few weeks with sprinter Secret Agenda, which won the Group 1 Sangster Stakes at Morphetville last year, and She’s so High among his key rides.

There are four Group 1s on offer in Adelaide over the next month, and with another six in Queensland after that, Oliver sees no reason why he can’t make more inroads on Moore’s longstanding record.

“You always need something to chase,” he said.

“I have some nice young horses coming through so it certainly keeps me going at the moment.”

Winning feeling: Damien Oliver makes it 109 Group 1 wins on Australian soil.

CAPACITY FIELD FOR OLD TREASURE

A CAPACITY field of 16 plus one emergency has been declared for the $200,000 VRC St Leger at Flemington on Anzac Day.

The 2800m staying test, a Listed race for three-year-olds, is the last of its kind run in Australia.

The VRC St Leger was first run in 1857 and predates the Melbourne Cup with the Victoria Derby, first held in 1855, the oldest feature race. It has been won by turf greats including Phar Lap and Tulluch.

Trainer David Hayes has four entries in the race

SECURITY BEEFED UP FOR KILMORE

RACING will return to Kilmore on Thursday as investigations continue in to how two 40cm metal spikes were inserted into the track near the fence close to the 400m mark in an apparent act of vandalism.

That forced the abandonment of the meeting on April 12 before it began and shocked the racing community.

No perprator has been found and the Seymour Criminal Investigation Unit is continuing to investigate the situation.

But at this stage Thursday’s meeting will go ahead with 264 nominations taken for the eight race card and extra security measures will be put in place.

Noel Callow winds up smart youngster Thrillster at Caulfield. Picture: Getty Images

CORSTENS PUTS HIS STAR AWAY

TRAINER Tory Corstens is sending his exciting filly Thrillster to the paddock with eyes on the riches of the spring.

Corstens, who spent last week in hospital with a lung infection, said the two-year-old had “done her job” in three starts, with two wins and a second, including an impressive two length victory win at Caulfield last Saturday.

That took her prizemoney to just short of $350,000, with more on offer later this year,.

“She can have a nice six week break then we’ll set her for the spring,” Corstens told RSN.

BY GEORGE, HE’S A REAL BEAUTY

ONE-time Melbourne Cup favourite Order Of St George is off to a winning start this preparation with victory over his two rivals in the in the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan.

The six-year-old, part-owned by six-time Melbourne Cup winner Lloyd Williams, ran second to Torcedor 12 months ago as the favourite, but he made no mistakes on Sunday.

Having his first race since lifting the British Champions Long Distance Cup, Order Of St George, which was favourite and top weight for last year’s Melbourne Cup but never made the trip to Australia, started at $1.22.

There were few anxious moments for his supporters in the Group 3 race over 2600m, as jockey Ryan Moore piloted the stayer to a victory by five lengths.

Order of St George is listed as a $26 TAB chance for this year’s Melbourne Cup.