Jack Purtell

Purtell, also 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 Sunshine Coast, Queensland on 8 March 2017, aged 96.[5] Purtell and his wife had two children, Garry and Mark.[13]

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]

• 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)

• Australian Racing Hall of Fame