Iconic jockey Terry Lucas dead aged 72 as tributes flow in for rider known as ‘God’
RACING is in mourning following the death of iconic jockey Terry Lucas at the age of 72.
A giant in British and Australian racing, he rode more than 1,500 winners around the world.
But he was best known to punters here for his relationship with legendary trainer Mick Easterby.
The two began working together in 1979 and didn’t part ways until Lucas returned to his native Australia in 2010.
Easterby wrote online about how he referred to Lucas as ‘God’ – because that was just how good he was in the saddle.
The Yorkshire trainer said: “He’d ride out in the morning then he’d be off to the races.
“The man was simply tireless and one of the best jockeys I have ever seen.
“‘I’ve got God working for me’, I’d tell people.
“That’s what I called him. ‘God’.
“Over the years he picked up several nicknames, including ‘The Wombat’ and ‘Cool Hand Luke’, but to me Terry was always ‘God’.”
Lucas had an uncanny ability to pick horses out as future winners.
Easterby recalled how, after finishing fourth on Wiganthorpe, Lucas said he’d win the Gimcrack if blinkers were applied.
He added: “Later that month Wiganthorpe did indeed win the Gimcrack, where he wore a set of blinkers.
“Sadly Terry didn’t ride as the horse’s new owner, Robert Sangster, set out that Willie Carson would be the jockey.”
Lucas rode his final winner for Easterby on We’ll Meet Again at Wolverhampton in January 2005.
He retired as a rider aged 54 but stayed with the yard as travelling head lad.
Easterby added: “He was quite simply the best judge of a horse I have ever known, with an unbelievable racing brain.
“There’ll never be another quite like Terry.”