Maurice McCarten was remembered and honoured with the running of the Maurice McCarten Stakes Group2, at Rosehill on Saturday

He came across from New Zealand to Sydney in 1926 to ride Limerick in the Carlingford Mile at Rosehill; it was his first ride, first winner in Australia.

Limerick soon proved he was up to the weight for age scale when defeating Pantheon, quite a few times, and also Windbag, which was no mean feat.

It was the potential that Limerick had shown as a young horse in New Zealand that encouraged McCarten to come to Sydney, he had ridden over 100 winners at that time.

Dothraki winning the Maurice McCarten Stakes 

Later he rode Ajax in the majority of his two and three year old races, winning the Rosehill and the Caulfield Guineas on the chestnut son of Heroic; however, he was committed to riding basically in Sydney so Harold Badger rode Ajax thereafter.

Ajax had won 18 races in succession under Badger, and was about to join elite company as Desert Gold and Gloaming had each won 19 races apiece, and that was more than 20 years ago.

A couple of years later in 1939 he rode in the three horse Rawson Stakes at Rosehill, Ajax was 40-1 on, ridden by Harold Badger , Spear Chief, ridden by Maurice McCarten and Allunga, a slow stayer, ridden by Darby Munro, both were at 33 -1.

Munro always considered Ajax was a corn beef champion, he could be rolled and Darby was out to prove it, he was at Ajax’s girth all the way.

Ajax had no peace in front, Munro made sure of that, Spear Chief had the last run at the pair and won by a half length.

McCarten had a unique record that is likely to stand the test of time, he won the jockey’s premiership in 1938-39 with 88 winners, and was champion trainer four times, giving way to T J Smith who won the title 33 times.

Among his best horses would have been Delta, Knave, Deep Diver, Prince Cautanld , Wenona Girl, Todman Noholme, Columnist ,Sweet Chime, he was never short of a good horse in all those years.

Maurice McCarten was a great jockey, a great trainer, and a great gentleman.

Neville Sellwood alongside his mate Maurice McCarten