Jack Holt (trainer) explained

Jack Holt
Birth Name:Michael Holt
Birth Date:14 November 1879
Birth Place:Berwick, Victoria, Australia
Nationality:Australian
Other Names:"Wizard of Mordialloc"
Occupation:horse trainer and philanthropist
Father:Michael Holt
Mother:Mary Holt, née Corkery
Awards:inducted, Australian Racing Hall of Fame (2001)
Spouse:unmarried

Michael "Jack" Holt (14 November 1879 – 10 June 1951) was an Australian horse trainer and philanthropist. Popularly known as the "Wizard of Mordialloc", Holt headed the Victorian trainers' premiership at least twelve times.[1]

Biography

Holt was born in Berwick, Victoria, a younger son of Michael Holt (– 5 April 1910) and his wife Mary Holt, née Corkery (c. 1843 – 13 June 1913). He may have been christened "Michael"[2] but called himself "Jackson",[3] [4] invariably shortened to "Jack". He lived with his two spinster sisters in the suburb of Mordialloc.

He first trained horses at Berwick, Victoria, and won his first race, the 1911 Standish Handicap, with his own mare, Carette.

Some of his more notable wins were:

Heroic (1923)

Picatus (1934)

Chanak (1947)

Trice (1917); Heroic (1924); Young Idea (1935); Nuffield (1938)

Noorilim (1919)

Heroic (1924)

Eurythmic (1922)

Tangalooma (1920); Eurythmic (1921); Easingwold (1923); Second Wind (1930)

Hall Mark (1933)

Telecles (1919); Royal Charter (1926)

Blue Cross (1921); Heroic (1926); Mildura (1940)

Second Wind (1930)

Eurythmic (1921); Lilypond (1925)

Second Wind (1929)

Hall Mark (1933); Nuffield (1938)

Heroic (1927); Chanak (1948)

Tangalooma (1921); Second Wind (1930 and 1931)Other horses he trained were: Avenger, Beau Fils, David, El Ray, Gallantic, Hyperion, Idea, King Pan, Man at Arms, Metellus, Radiant Lady, Royal Joker, Sailing Home, Sir Ibex, Smoke Bomb, Studio and Victorian King. His jockeys included Frank Dempsey, Theo Lewis and W. Duncan.

Holt was a devoted Catholic. When he died he was accorded a Requiem Mass at his local church, St. Brigid's, Mordialloc, to which he had been a faithful and generous adherent. His remains were interred in the Berwick Cemetery.[6]

Recognition

Holt was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2001.[7]

Benefactions

Holt's estate was valued at something over £100,000, and most it was willed to charitable institutions:

In popular culture

"Jack Holt" has been used in Australian rhyming slang as a synonym for "salt".

Family

Michael Holt (– 5 April 1910) was married to Mary Holt (– 13 June 1913), who was born in County Cork.[9]

Notes and References

  1. News: Trained Many Great Horses . . 29,989 . Victoria, Australia . 11 June 1951 . 14 September 2017 . 12 . National Library of Australia.
  2. John Ritchie, 'Holt, Michael (Jack) (1879–1951)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/holt-michael-jack-6719/text11603, published first in hardcopy 1983, accessed online 15 September 2017.
  3. News: Family Notices . . 29,990 . Victoria, Australia . 12 June 1951 . 15 September 2017 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  4. News: Family Notices . . 32,690 . Victoria, Australia . 12 June 1951 . 15 September 2017 . 14 . National Library of Australia.
  5. It is not certain whether this horse and Thrice above are different animals, but neither is a misprint.
  6. News: Jackson Holt . . LXXXIV . 5006 . Victoria, Australia . 5 July 1951 . 14 September 2017 . 12 . National Library of Australia.
  7. Web site: Australian Racing Museum & Hall of Fame: Jack Holt. Racing Victoria Limited. 15 September 2017. bot: unknown. https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20091109023600/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/22090/20091109-1336/www.racingvictoria.net.au/p_Jack_Holt.html. 9 November 2009.
  8. News: Late horse trainer financed research centre for hospital . . X . 489 . New South Wales, Australia . 12 July 1951 . 14 September 2017 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  9. News: Mrs. Catherine Byrne . . LIV . 2656 . Victoria, Australia . 30 August 1923 . 14 September 2017 . 17 . National Library of Australia.
  10. News: £13,625 for Charities . . LXXXVI . 5123 . Victoria, Australia . 1 October 1953 . 14 September 2017 . 22 . National Library of Australia.