Last night in the early evening, one of the all time great Australian riders, Roy "The Professor" Higgins passed away in the Cabrini Hospital in Brighton, aged 75. Surrounded by loved ones, he died after a short battle with illness. To most Australians, the death has comes a real shock, few knew of his condition. It's often said of the dear departed that they were much loved, while in truth, they were barely liked. In this case, the adoration is much deserved. He was a jovial man with no enemies to speak of. And the respect for the man runs deep in this country. Roy Higgins is one of only three riders in Australia to win 100 Group One events. He was inducted into the Australian Sporting Hall of Fame in 1987 and was one of the inaugural inductees into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2001. His victories totaled 2312, most of which were gathered in Melbourne where he took eleven Premierships. His deeds are many, including the Grand Slam of Australian racing, the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and the Golden Slipper, a feat only achieved by a hand full of jockeys. In the Melbourne Autumn Carnival of 1972, the Professor made off with eleven victories over the three days of racing, a feat unlikely to be equaled. His deeds are too many to mention, but one in particular still hold the attention of the racing fan, the match race between two of the greats in Southern Hemisphere racing, Big Philou and Rain Lover in 1970. In 1968 Rain Lover had smashed a Melbourne Cup field, leading all the way to win by seven lengths. The following year he backed up again. He was given a massive weight to carry. Little did anyone know though, Bart Cummings had unearthed a future star, Big Philou. A massive betting plunged was placed. Doubles bookmakers had offered as much as 250-1 about Big Philou taking out the Caulfield - Melbourne Cup double. Millions was at stake. Big Philou was beaten a lip in the Caulfield Cup, but Higgins quickly fired in a protest. After what seemed an eternity, the placings were reversed. Big Philou was declared the winner. Bookies across the country shuddered. Off laying was the order of the day. But no matter how much is off loaded, someone has to carry the can. If Big Philou was to take out the Melbourne Cup, it was going to be a blood bath. Both Cummings and Higgins were certain that with the pull in the weights, they had the measure of the champion Rain Lover. So too did others. He was now a pronounced favourite for the event. 30 minutes before the Cup, Big Philou's connections became worried by the horse's behavior. A vet was called. The horse's condition quickly deteriorated. He'd been got at, nobbled. There was no option but to scratch the horse. Half an hour later, Rain Lover went on to win his second Melbourne Cup. This set in place all that was needed for the grudge race of the age, Rain Lover v Big Philou. The scene of the epic battle was Flemington. The date, the 14th of March 1970 and the event, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes over the 10 furlong trip. Rain Lover went into the race as the odds on favourite. At $1:66, he held sway over Big Philou who went to the starting stalls at $2:25. Rain Lover was ridden by Pat Hyland and his great mate Roy Higgins was aboard Big Philou. The link below is an audio of the race. The caller is one of Australia's favourite sons, Bert Bryant. http://www.racerate.com/1970 MATCH RACE OF CENTURY BIG PHILOU RAIN LOVER.mp3
