John Letts (jockey)
Encyclopedia
John Richard ‘Johnny’ Letts (born 1943 in South Australia
) is a former Australian jockey whose career spanned almost 30 years, retiring from race riding in 1988.
Letts began riding as an apprentice in 1959, aged 16 years old and eventually rode over 2,300 winners.
He was immortalized by winning the Melbourne Cup
twice on Piping Lane
in 1972 and Beldale Ball
in 1980.
Apart from his Melbourne Cup successes he rode a host of big race winners including three SAJC Adelaide Cup
s on Rain Lover
(1968), Grand Sale (1976) and Amarant (1983). He also had success in the 1977 AJC
Epsom Handicap
on Raffindale, the 1975 Victoria Derby on Galena Boy and the 1980 VRC
Australian Cup
on Ming Dynasty.
In recent years, Letts has been prominent as a mounted interviewer for 7 Sport
's TV coverage of major races in Australia, including the Melbourne Cup. Riding on the course immediately after a race finishes, he uses a hand-held microphone to do live interviews with the winning jockey within seconds of the finish of the race. Visual coverage is from trackside cameras.
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
) is a former Australian jockey whose career spanned almost 30 years, retiring from race riding in 1988.
Letts began riding as an apprentice in 1959, aged 16 years old and eventually rode over 2,300 winners.
He was immortalized by winning the 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...
twice on Piping Lane
Piping Lane
Piping Lane was a brown Australian Thoroughbred racehorse gelding by Lanesborough out of the mare Londonderry Air by Piping Time. Piping Lane came to prominence by winning the 1972 Melbourne Cup over 3,200 metres at odds of 40/1....
in 1972 and Beldale Ball
Beldale Ball
Beldale Ball was a brown Thoroughbred racehorse stallion by Nashua out of the mare San Cat .Trained by Colin Hayes and owned by the Swettenham Stud Syndicate his best win came in the 1980 VRC Melbourne Cup....
in 1980.
Apart from his Melbourne Cup successes he rode a host of big race winners including three SAJC Adelaide Cup
Adelaide Cup
The Adelaide Cup is a SAJC Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race held in South Australia. It is handicap race run over 3,200 metres at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide Australia. Total prize money for the race is A$400,000....
s on Rain Lover
Rain Lover
Rain Lover was a champion Australian Thoroughbred racehorse. He was one of the very few horses to win the Melbourne Cup more than once. Rain Lover was sired by the good racehorse, Latin Lover his dam Rain Spot was by Valognes .He was owned and bred by Clifford A. Reid, who won the 1945 Melbourne...
(1968), Grand Sale (1976) and Amarant (1983). He also had success in the 1977 AJC
Australian Jockey Club
The Australian Jockey Club was founded in January 1842. It morphed from the former Australian Racing Committee set up in May 1840 to set the standards for racing in the colony...
Epsom Handicap
Epsom Handicap
The Epsom Handicap is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race held over 1,600 metres at Randwick Racecourse. It is one of the major races of the Sydney Spring Carnival. Many great milers have won the race, including Chatham, Gunsynd, and Super Impose, who was also a dual winner of the...
on Raffindale, the 1975 Victoria Derby on Galena Boy and the 1980 VRC
Victoria Racing Club
The Victoria Racing Club was founded in 1864. It was formed following the disbanding of the Victoria Turf Club and the Victoria Jockey Club. A legacy passed from the Victoria Turf Club was the annual “race that stops a nation”, the Melbourne Cup, which was first contested in 1861.From its...
Australian Cup
Australian Cup
The Australian Cup is a Group 1 Weight for Age race for Thoroughbred racehorses run over 2000 metres, at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in March...
on Ming Dynasty.
In recent years, Letts has been prominent as a mounted interviewer for 7 Sport
Seven Sport
Seven Sport is the brand that all sporting events broadcast on the Seven Network are broadcast under.-History:The Seven Network is a major player in Australian sports broadcasting. Before 1999, Seven telecasted all matches of the Australian Football League. However, in 2000 Nine and pay TV provider...
's TV coverage of major races in Australia, including the Melbourne Cup. Riding on the course immediately after a race finishes, he uses a hand-held microphone to do live interviews with the winning jockey within seconds of the finish of the race. Visual coverage is from trackside cameras.