He was a legend in his own time. In Australia, he was worshipped. In Europe, he created history by winning the most prestigious horse races that England and France had to offer. If ‘excellence’ is the criterion, jockey George Moore ranks with the best. George Moore, the Australian jockey, known as ‘cotton fingers’, passed away in Sydney yesterday. He was 84.

One of two Australian jockeys who made horse-riding an art, George Moore was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. He had gone through two heart bypass surgeries and had been ill for some time. Moore’s compatriot, Scobie Breasley died not too long ago.

Ten-time champion rider in Sydney, George Moore won 119 Grade I races in Australia. That is the highest in Australian racing history. He received the highest honour any Commonwealth citizen could get when he was vested with the Order of the British Empire (OBE). He took to training when he gave up riding and did several stints in Hong Kong. He enjoyed considerable success. He called it a day in 1985. In 2001, he was inducted into the Australian Hall of Fame.

Moore and Breasley took their Australian riding style of taking a seat on the horse to give themselves long reins to Europe and beat the European counterparts at their own game. Moore made the journey to England in 1967 to ride for Noel Murless, one of the most celebrated trainers. He won the Epsom Derby, King George VI and Elizabeth Stakes and the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas.

George Moore won the Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in Paris. The year was 1959 and the horse was trainer Alec Head’s Saint Crespin. At the end of the 2,400-metre grass race, five horses went past the winning post locked together. Saint Crespin was in a dead heat for win with Midnight Sun. Midnight Sun was disqualified and demoted to second place. Saint Crespin was awarded sole first place giving George Moore his only win in the Arc.

Jockey Jimmy Lindley, who was offered the Murless riding deal that Moore accepted, commented on Moore’s passing. “He was in the same class as Lester Piggott and Gordon Richards. Those days, riding was different. George could hold his own with the best.”

Here is news of some significance from Santa Anita in Arcadia, California. There were heavy thunderstorms over the last weekend. Three racing cards--Saturday through Monday, were cancelled. The new synthetic surface (track) did not drain well enough for safe racing conditions. Serious drainage problems continue to plague the track. Santa Anita’s main track was relaid with an artificial cushion surface last year. Several US tracks, citing safety concerns, have switched to synthetic surfaces. Santa Anita reportedly spent $11 million. There is every indication that Santa Anita’s new surface will be torn apart. What the immediate future holds is a question that cannot be answered with any precision at this point.

Santa Anita hosts the Breeders’ Cup races in October 2008.

As of January 8, 2008, here the numbers in the Ricardo-Baze jockey race. Jorge Ricardo stood at 9,775 and Russell Baze had 9,973.

Sources: Racing Post and NTRA