The Victorian Racing Club’s longest serving Clerk of the Course, John ‘Patto’ Patterson died yesterday aged 86.
From the Jim Johnson ridden, Mick Robins trained Rain Lover in 1969 to the Damien Oliver ridden, Gai Waterhouse trained Fiorente in 2013, Patto led a record 44 Melbourne Cup winners back to scale. Gold and Black ridden by John Duggan and trained by Bart Cummings was the sole exception in 1977.
Patto’s sons Peter and Shane are both now Clerks of the Course and continue this tradition meaning that every Melbourne Cup winner since 1969 except Gold and Black has been led back to scale by a Patterson. Make a mental note of that one for your next sports club trivia night.
Patto was a three-year-old lad living with his mum in Coleraine when his father was killed at Tobruk in 1941. He grew up in Coleraine with his mum on her Legacy war widow’s pension until he became indentured as an apprentice jockey with Phil Burke in Melbourne.
Over a lengthy colourful career with horses, he was a jockey, horse breaker, drover, Royal Melbourne Show competitor and teacher of apprentices in addition to his Clerk of the Course duties. An old colleague from the Newmarket saleyards once said, “I’ve never known a horse whisperer like him.”
Patto was presented with the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2021 for services to horse racing.
Trevor Hasting’s marvellous book John ‘Patto’ Patterson: from Legacy larrikin to living legend was published in early 2020. My Almanac review of it appeared on 30 January 2020.
Copies of the book may be purchased as follows:
Trevor Hastings 0427279500
Vale ‘Patto’.
Read more about ‘Patto’ HERE.
More from Roger Lowrey can be read Here.
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About Roger Lowrey
Roger Lowrey is a Geelong based writer who lists his special interests as reading, writing, horse racing, Roman history and AEC electoral boundaries. Some of his friends think he is a little eccentric.
Nice one, RDL – what a legend Patto was/is!
Thanks Kevin. Yes, they broke the mould after they made him!
RDL
There was a minute’s silence for him at Caulfield on Saturday…well, as much silence as you can have on a racecourse. He was obviously greatly respected by the jockeys and the Clerks. Thanks Roger.
Thanks Ian. I’m glad to hear that. I imagine the VRC will do likewise at its next meeting,
RDL