Racing: O'Sullivan's record falls at Blenheim

Willy Duggan entered New Zealand racing folklore as David Walsh's 2360th winner at Blenheim yesterday. Photo / Thinkstock

David Walsh will probably enjoy an extra piece of crackling from his next pork roast.

You just know David Walsh wouldn't mind that yesterday's record-equalling victory as New Zealand's most successful jockey came in a moderate Blenheim race on a Sunday.

You might think a Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup and premiership-winning jockey would like a little more fanfare.

But that's Walsh.

Things got better - Walshy, as he's known to everyone in horse racing - slid beyond the retired Lance O'Sullivan's official record to clock up win number 2360 five races later in winning the $18,000 Peter Yealands Marlborough Cup on the favourite, Willy Duggan.

To David Michael Walsh it may as well have been a Hokitika maiden.

We wrote a column a month or two back when Walsh was six wins away from Lance O'Sullivan's New Zealand record, suggesting the 54-year-old might sneak the record that day from the nine rides he had at an Otago meeting.

He'd ridden six winners in a day a number of times, but he wouldn't have any of it in the story we wrote.

"You can't go doing things differently just because you are close to a record. I've got some nice rides, but nothing I can say that is outstanding and that's the way I like it.

"When you go into a raceday thinking you'll win five or six races, that's when things go wrong.

"The main thing is to do your preparation, turn up and do your best."

That's the way he approached Blenheim yesterday.

There were no histrionics over the finish line apart from a pat on the neck for Willy Duggan's brave effort.

"Everyone knows I'm not one to get carried away, but it felt awesome to finally put that record away."

Apart from being New Zealand's finest exponent of front-running riding because of his exquisite sense of timing, Walsh's longevity is his remarkable feature.

At 54, he is riding no differently than 10 years ago, perhaps better.

He would be close enough to New Zealand's fittest jockey and the fact that he does not have to waste particularly hard means he could go on for any number of years yet.

"I can honestly say I've never thought about retirement," he said last night, "I'll keep going while I can.

"One day I'll wake up and say I've had enough and I'll announce my retirement that day, but whether that's tomorrow or in five years I've got no idea."

A celebration would be a quiet dinner and a couple of beers with a handful of friends. Or he could cook you his signature dish - a pork roast.

He's as good at that as he is at clocking up winners.
2360 winners

*54-year-old veteran jockey David Walsh yesterday broke Lance O'Sullivan's official record of 2359 by winning the Marlborough Cup.
*Walsh equalled the record by winning on Black Berry Punch early on yesterday's programme.
*The Canterbury-based horseman says he has never had a retirement thought.