Harold Badger
Harold Lindsay Badger (10 October 1907 – 13 December 1981) was an Australian jockey, famous for riding the champion racehorse Ajax in many of his wins.
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Badger was born at Northcote, Melbourne, the third of eight children. Two of his brothers, Clarence and Eric, also became jockeys.[1] Apprenticed at 14 to Richard Bradfield, he often raced in South Australia, winning the Adelaide Cup in 1925.[1] Granted his senior jockey's licence in 1927, he moved to Adelaide and was immediately successful, winning the South Australian jockey's premiership in his first season.[2]
He returned to Victoria, but had few opportunities in major races as the number-two jockey for trainer Lou Robertson, so he turned freelance in 1936. That year he won the Caulfield Cup on Northwind.[1] With Ajax's regular jockey, Maurice McCarten unavailable, Badger was given the ride in the 1937 Victoria Derby, finishing a close second. This was the start of his association with Ajax, and he went on to win 30 of 37 races on him, finishing second five times and third twice.[2] Possibly the most famous of these races was the 1939 Rawson Stakes, where Ajax finished second, despite starting favourite at 40/1 on.[1]
His success with Ajax put him in great demand with Victorian owners and trainers, and he won his first Victorian jockey's premiership in the 1938-39 season. He went on to win the premiership a further five times. His major race wins included the Caulfield Cup, the Moonee Valley Cup, the Adelaide Cup, the Brisbane Cup, the Doncaster Handicap, the Epsom Handicap, the W S Cox Plate, the Newmarket Handicap (all twice) and the Futurity Stakes (three times).[2]
References
- Lemon, Andrew. "Badger, Harold Lindsay (1907–1981)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
- "Australian Racing Museum & Hall of Fame: Harold Badger". Racing Victoria. Archived from the original on 9 November 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2013.