Damien Oliver is a Thoroughbred horse racing

Thoroughbred horse race

Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...

 jockey

Jockey

A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...

.

Oliver comes from a racing family; his father Ray Oliver rode with success until meeting his death in a race fall at Kalgoorlie, Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

. The younger of two sons, Damien has reached greater heights than his brother Jason Oliver who was killed in a fall at Belmont Park Racecourse, Western Australia

Belmont Park, Western Australia

Belmont Park Racecourse is one of the two major horse racing venues within the Perth, Western Australia metropolitan area, the other being Ascot Racecourse. The track has a circumference of 1,699 metres with a 333 metre straight...

 when a young horse he was riding broke both front legs and fell during a race trial. The horse was found to have been administered phenylbutazone

Phenylbutazone

Phenylbutazone, often referred to as bute, is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug for the short-term treatment of pain and fever in animals. In the United States, it is no longer approved for human use.-In humans:...

 prior to the trial and this was thought to be a contributing factor in the accident.

Damien returned to riding in 2006 after serious back injuries sustained in a fall at Moonee Valley

Moonee Valley Racecourse

Moonee Valley Racecourse is a horse-racing track in Melbourne, Australia which hosts races for Thoroughbreds. Located six kilometers from the Melbourne CBD, it is the home of the Moonee Valley Racing Club...

, and rode the Japanese horse Pop Rock

Pop Rock (horse)

is a Japanese racehorse trained by Katsuhiko Sumii. Pop Rock is best known for having placed second in the 2006 Melbourne Cup, ridden by Damien Oliver. It was Damien Oliver's 17th time racing in the Melbourne Cup....

 in the 2006 Melbourne Cup

2006 Melbourne Cup

The 2006 Melbourne Cup was held on Tuesday, November 7, 2006, in Melbourne, Australia.The winner of the 2006 Melbourne Cup was Delta Blues, ridden by Yasunari Iwata, which won by a nose ahead of Pop Rock, with Maybe Better coming in third place....

, which finished second to stablemate Delta Blues

Delta Blues (horse)

Delta Blues is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2006 Melbourne Cup. He was the first Japanese horse to win the Cup. In doing so he defeated Pop Rock, another Japanese horse, also trained by Katsuhiko Sumii....

. In the 2007 Melbourne Cup

Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...

, he placed second to Efficient on English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 horse Purple Moon.

Oliver has won the Melbourne Cup on Doriemus

Doriemus

Doriemus is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse who began his career in New Zealand and rose to prominence in Australia by winning the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups in 1995. He became just the ninth of eleven horses to complete the double....

 (1995) Media Puzzle

Media Puzzle

Media Puzzle , foaled in the United States was an Irish horse bred by Walter Haefner's Moyglare Stud Farm and owned by Dr. M. W. Smurfit. He was sired by Theatrical, the 1987 U.S. Champion Male Turf Horse, and out of the mare Market Slide by Gulch, the 1988 U.S. Champion Sprint Horse...

 (2002), the Caulfield Cup

Caulfield Cup

The Caulfield Cup, one of Australia's richest Thoroughbred horse races and the richest of its type in the world is held annually by the Melbourne Racing Club. The race is a handicap like the Melbourne Cup, which means that horses that compete in the Caulfield Cup are capable of running on the...

 on Mannerism (1992), Paris Lane (1994), Doriemus

Doriemus

Doriemus is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse who began his career in New Zealand and rose to prominence in Australia by winning the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups in 1995. He became just the ninth of eleven horses to complete the double....

 (1995), and Sky Heights (1999), and the Cox Plate

Cox Plate

The W.S. Cox Plate is an Australian Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne every October by the Moonee Valley Racing Club to honour W.S. Cox, the club's founder. For three-year-olds and over, the race is considered to be the Weight for Age championship of Australasia...

 on Dane Ripper (1997) and Northerly

Northerly

Northerly, foaled in 1996, was arguably Australia's best middle distance Thoroughbred horse of the early 2000s. Northerly, trained by Western Australian harness racing legend Fred Kersley, won nine Group One races, including the Australian Cup twice, and the Cox Plate, regarded as the Weight for...

 (2001). He was also the regular rider of Lee Freedman

Lee Freedman

David Lee Freedman is a prominent Australian racehorse trainer. In partnership with brothers Anthony, Michael, and Richard, he has been a prolific winner of Australia's major races in past 20 years, with four Golden Slippers, four Caulfield Cups, two Cox Plates, and five Melbourne Cups,...

's champion sprinter Schillaci

Schillaci (horse)

Schillaci was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who was an eight-time Group One winner. He was by Salieri out of Biscarina . A huge grey gelding, Schillaci was a $70,000 purchase at the 1990 yearling sales, and was named after Salvatore Schillaci, who was the leading goal scorer at the 1990...

 (1991–95) and top filly Alinghi

Alinghi (horse)

Alinghi is an Australian Thoroughbred racemare who won four Group One races, including the Newmarket Handicap and A$4,161,740 in prizemoney. She was by the leading sire, Encosta De Lago from Oceanfast by Monde Bleu...

 (2003–05). In the 2007 Golden Slipper

Golden Slipper

The Golden Slipper Stakes is an Australian Thoroughbred horse race for two year old horses held at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney run over 1,200 metres on turf at set weights. It is the premier two year old race in Australia and is the world's richest race for two-year-old Thoroughbreds....

, Damien completed the grand slam of Australian racing by winning the 2 year old race on the John Hawkes trained Forensics.

Damien Oliver has won the Racing Victoria Limited

Racing Victoria Limited

Racing Victoria Limited, as the governing Principal Racing Authority, has responsibilities to develop, encourage, promote and manage the conduct of Thoroughbred horseracing in the State of Victoria, Australia...

 Scobie Breasley Medal

Scobie Breasley Medal

The Scobie Breasley Medal is an annual Jockeys award, first presented by Racing Victoria Limited in 1996, that recognises excellence in race riding on Melbourne racetracks. Votes are cast by racing stewards at each meeting and are awarded on a 3-2-1 basis to what they deem to be the best ride of...

 four times and shared the medal on two occasions.

On 22 September 2010, Oliver pulled out of rides at a Sandown meeting, while helping police with their inquiries into a criminal investigation.

In 2011, The Cup

The Cup (2011 film)

The Cup is a 2011 biographical film about the 2002 Melbourne Cup horse race and is directed by Simon Wincer. It is about Damien Oliver's victory in the 2002 Melbourne Cup.-Cast:*Brendan Gleeson as Dermot Weld*Stephen Curry as Damien Oliver...

, a biopic starring Stephen Curry, was released. It covered his relationships with his family and the 2002 Melbourne Cup win on Media Puzzle.