Melbourne Cup winner, considered one of Australia’s horse racing greats, dies after riding for legends like Bart Cummings
- The greatest jockey John Duggan has died
- Duggan won the Melbourne Cup
- Tributes have arrived to the legend.
Tributes have poured in for John Duggan after the former jockey died on Tuesday.
A former Melbourne Cup winner, Duggan has been hailed as one of the best jockeys in the sport by Racing NSW CEO Peter V’landys following his passing.
“John Duggan was one of the great jockeys of his time and a natural horseman with immense skill,” said V’landys.
“He was an extremely talented cyclist who won many outstanding races, including the Golden Slipper and the Melbourne Cup.
“John will be missed by the industry and we would like to extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends.”
Australian motorsports mourn the death of legendary jockey John Duggan

Duggan won the Melbourne Cup among a host of major prizes during his decorated career.
Duggan was mentored by the late Theo Green as a young jockey, who also helped Darren Beadman, Ron Quinton, Maurice Logue and Malcolm Johnston become first-class jockeys.
He won a host of top-flight races during his career, including his first Group One victory in the 1976 Golden Slipper at Vivarchi, along with the Melbourne Cup the following year aboard Gold and Black.
Duggan also won the Sydney Apprentice titles in 1969-70 and 1971-72 and took home the Villiers Stakes twice at Randwick on Silver Points (1970) and Torumba (1972).
The best jockey took home a series of Group One victories, including the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Apollo Eleven in 1973 and Ming Dynasty in 1978, as well as the Tancred Stakes at Apollo Eleven the same year he won the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
He rode for many trainers, including Jack Denham, Tommy Smith, Guy Walter and Brian Mayfield-Smith, but at one point was the jockey for the stable of the legendary Bart Cummings.