71-year-old Australian jockey who rode his first winner in 1969 enjoys a fairytale success on final mount

Australia's oldest active jockey ended a 55-year career in perfect style with success on his final ride at the Queensland track of Mount Isa. 

Keith Ballard, 71, cantered over the line on favourite Metal Bar in the Julia Creek Cup on Saturday to end a long and successful career in the saddle, which resulted in over 1,700 winners. 

Metal Bar is fittingly trainer by Ballard's wife Denise, for whom the retiring jockey will now work for at their local yard. 

"The old girl has to keep pumping out the winners, I just have to learn to lead them in and out now," Ballard joked to Racenet.

"I haven't got emotional about it all because I had resigned myself to the fact that this was going to be it a while back. It wasn't a decision I made overnight and to be truthful I never expected the bloody send-off.

"I'm relaxed with it, I had a huge day and people gave me a huge send-off. It is a wonderful industry, I have met people from everywhere and it is a wonderful place to be."

Ballard, who was born and raised in north-west Queensland, enjoyed his first winner in 1969 and competed in almost 10,000 races. He became Australia's oldest active jockey in 2018. 

His son Dan followed in the family footsteps and also became a jockey, routinely racing against his father throughout his own 23-year career. The trio were inducted into the Queensland Racing Hall of Fame in 2021.

Lester Piggott had his final domestic ride in the November Handicap at Doncaster on his 59th birthday in 1994.

The world's oldest jockey was Harry Beasley (1852-1939), who rode Come Away to win the Grand National in 1891 and, at the age of 83, partnered his own filly Mollie to be unplaced at Baldoyle, Co. Dublin in June 1935.

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