Noel “Digger” McGrowdie
The Basics
| Categories: | Jockeys |
|---|---|
| Region: | South East Queensland |
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Noel "Digger" McGrowdie is something of the forgotten jockey of Queensland racing because he lived in the shadow of two of the immortals in George Moore and Neville Sellwood. However, he was an outstanding jockey who rode about 700 winners in a relatively short career.
McGrowdie was apprenticed to George Anderson in Brisbane before moving to Sydney in 1943 where he was an instant success. McGrowdie won a Melbourne Cup and is one of only a handful of jockeys to ride and win all four of the Brisbane Winter Carnival – Stradbroke, Brisbane Cup, Doomben 10,000 and Doomben Cup.
He was killed in a car accident in Malaysia where he began riding in the late 1950s. His best wins included:
Melbourne Cup: Straight Draw
VRC Newmarket: Birdwood
Oakleigh Plate: Birdwood
Stradbroke Handicap: Wedborough
Brisbane Cup: Silver Buzz, Blue Boots
Doomben 10,000: Highstrung, Coniston, High Lea
Doomben Cup: Qualetta
AJC Derby: Valiant Crown
AJC Epsom: Kiaree
AJC Metropolitan: Straight Draw, Night Beam, Murray Stream
Doncaster: Fire Dust, Grenoble
Sydney Cup: Straight Draw, Bank Stream, Opulent
Mackinnon: Snowstream