Mildura

45 “TASSIE PEGUS AWARD” Leading Jockey of the Mildura Cup Carnival Anthony “Tassie” Pegus - the most successful rider ever in the history of Mildura thoroughbred racing died after an asthma attack at the age of 43 on Friday November 6, 1998. Pegus started his riding career with Mildura training legend Jack Castleman at the age of 15 after moving to Mildura from Tasmania due to his asthma. He rode many winners for Castleman and rode the card of six races at Mildura on May 4, 1974. Of the six winners five were for Jack Castleman and the other for his son John Castleman. The Sunraysia Daily from the following Monday headlined “Pegus Rode All Six Mildura Winners......a dream realised”. The article went on Mildura apprentice, Anthony “Tassie” Pegus, 18, was given a standing ovation when he came back to scale on Demon Spirit after wining the Flying Handicap at Mildura on Saturday. Pegus, who had ridden out his country claim when successful on the John Castleman trained Brandy Flight in the opening race, had just completed every jockey’s dream. “I sensed at the turn I was going to ride the card” an excited Pegus said as he dismounted Demon Spirit. Demon Spirit was a good horse to Pegus as he rode his first race winner on the horse. After spending time with Jack Castleman Pegus swapped stables and rode for John Castleman. One Melbourne Cup day he rode the first three winners at Mildura and then drove to Wentworth where he rode the last three winners. Pegus next moved to the Swan Hill stables of the late Ted Cameron and the two commenced a long and fruitful relationship. The two orchestrated many plunges during the 1970’s and 1980’s, and the Pink and Black Cameron colors were famous in Victoria and South Australia. Of these betting plunges the best remembered was on Motorlox at Victoria Park in January 1982. The horse was backed from 200/1 to 6/1, landing the biggest plunge in Adelaide racing in modern history. Another successful plunge was aboard the Cameron trained Final Triumph. After winning its first start in a maiden at Mildura, the horse was sent to Flemington where it was backed from 20/1 to 7/1 before scoring. “Tassie Pegus” rode 620 winners during his career and was famous for being able to control unruly horses and being an excellent judge of pace.After finishing riding Pegus moved to Cohuna where he operated a dairy farm. The lure of horses was never far away and with the assistance his son Mark he started training horses at Swan Hill.The first horse he took to the track won at Ararat and was backed from 33/1 to 15/1. Tassie is survived by his wife Lesley and children Rickie, Mark, Sonia, Deanne and Andrew. Mark has ridden close to 1000 winners including the 2008 Group 1 Goodwood Handicap winner Shadoways. Sunraysia Daily provide the “Tassie” Pegus trophy to the leading jockey at the Mildura Cup Carnival. 2005/06 Brady Cross 2006/07 Luke Currie 2007/08 Mark Pegus 2008/09 Jack Hill 2009/10 Mark Pegus 2010/11 Dean Yendall 2011/12 Dean Yendall 2012/13 Dean Yendall 2013/14 Michelle Payne 2014/15 Simon Price 2015/16 Dean Yendall 2016/17 Dean Yendall 2017/18 Harry Coffey 2018/19