Reliving the Doriemus dream

On a heavy track at Flemington, Damien Oliver guided him to a four-length victory, marking the jockey’s first Cup win and making Doriemus only the ninth horse to achieve this feat. Here, co-owners Dr Dick Austin and Keith Biggs reflect on their journey with the champion.

After Doriemus’s victory in the 1995 Caulfield Cup, a celebration took place – and it was then that Oliver predicted the horse could also win the Melbourne Cup. Just weeks later, the horse and jockey delivered in spectacular fashion. 

“Who would have thought it would come true – and to win by four or five lengths … it was just unbelievable,” Biggs recalls. 

Austin, who owned the Mt Lyell Hotel in Kalgoorlie, hosted the Freedmans and other connections for more than one lively team celebration. 

Doriemus nearly repeated his Cup heroics two years later, in 1997, when he was beaten by a short half head on the post by Might And Power – adding to his remarkable record as one of Australia’s most durable stayers. 

For Biggs, the victory carried an extra layer of pride. Doriemus bore his family’s racing colours – first worn by a horse his father trained to win the 1963 Laverton Cup.

“They’ve been going around ever since,” he says. “You’ll probably still see them again at Ascot (in Perth) at Christmas time.” 

Thirty years on, the memories remain vivid, still sparking the same smiles and stories as on the day they were made.