John Patterson, Flemington‘s longest-serving clerk of the course has died aged 86.
Patterson led back 44 Melbourne Cup winners after victory in the race the stops the nation.
The horse walk at the venue was renamed Patterson Avenue in his honour last year.
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He is survived by his wife Glenys, and children Peter, Shane and Sheralee. Peter and Shane have followed in their father’s footsteps and are also clerks of the course.
John Patterson, who was a Flemington’s longest-serving Clerk of the Course, has died. Getty
Patterson led his first Melbourne Cup winner, Rain Lover, in 1969.
His last was the Damien Oliver-ridden Fiorente in 2013, when he handed the reigns over to his children.
Only 1977 winner Gold And Black wasn’t led by Patterson in that time, and his children have meant he remains the most recent winner to not be led by a Patterson.
In a statement, Victorian Racing Club chair Neil Wilson said Patterson was a “stalwart of the Flemington community and someone who will be dearly missed”.
“We share our thoughts and condolences with the entire Patterson family, including Peter and Shane who have followed in their father’s footsteps as clerks of the course,” he said.
“The role of clerk of the course is as important as any on a racetrack and John’s image is entrenched in the history books alongside the 44 Cup winners he accompanied back to scale, with his ability to keep horse and rider calm and safe always on display.
Patterson with jockey Chris Symonds during the launch of the 2015 Melbourne Cup Carnival. Getty
“We were fortunate to celebrate the renaming of Patterson Avenue in John’s company last year, and he leaves an enduring legacy through the Patterson family and all those whose career he helped shape.”
Patterson started working at Flemington in the 1950s as an apprentice jockey. He was then a horse breaker, and then Clerk of the Course.
He was presented a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2021 for services to horse racing.