Athol George Mulley was one of the most feared jockeys on the Australian tracks

Known for his incredible partnership with Bernborough, Athol George Mulley got the better of his rivals on many occasions during a career that spanned over twenty five years, after which he became a trainer. Athol Mulley joined Bayley Payten's stable as an apprentice. Soon after completing his apprenticeship in 1945, Mulley was thrust into national prominence as the main rider of Bernborough. Throughout a long career Mulley was a colourful and controversial figure on the Australian turf, often at odds with officialdom.

Known as the contemporary and fierce competitor of George Moore, Australia's greatest ever jockey, Athol Mulley was one of the country's finest jockeys. He formed a formidable partnership with the mighty horse Bernborough, trained by Harry Plant, to win fifteen consecutive races between December 1945 and October 1946. As events in the Pacific of WWII shook the people of Australia and New Zealand, entertainment that distracted became vital. The arrival of Bernborough at the big courses fuelled a surcharge of enthusiasm that rivalled that of Phar Lap, with big crowds in attendance. Although Bernborough did not enter major races until the age of six, the duo made amends in one season alone. Among his fellow jockeys were other well known faces like Neville Sellwood, Billy Cook, and Jack Thompson.

But it was the "Toowoomba Tornado" that Mulley would be forever linked to. Mulley and his big horse quickly became an indomitable pair. Athol Mulley believed that Bernborough had his own game plan before a race: break slowly and relax near the back of the pack, hit second gear and move up to the leaders and then roar home. And it worked - 15 times in a row. Bernborough was clocked in one race covering the final 4 furlongs (800m) in 46 seconds - not since 1921 had an Australian thoroughbred run faster. Athol's behaviour prior to the Chipping Norton Stakes captured some of what made Mulley tick: for days prior to the running, he received substantial bribes, as well as a number of threatening phone calls, but refused to bend to those who wanted Bernborough to lose. Athol Mulley was champion jockey twice in 1945-46 and 1960-61, in addition to being runner up on three occasions. Despite 15 wins with Bernborough, Mulley was sacked as his rider after he was beaten in controversial circumstances in the 1946 Caulfield Cup.

Apart from Bernborough, Athol Mulley was closely associated with Sky High. Athol's riding prowess took him to France, Singapore and India, before hanging up his boots to become a trainer in the early 1980s. In the 1963, 2000 Guineas in France, Mulley rode Corpora, finishing third in the race. During his glorious career Mulley won three Golden Slippers with the Jack Green-trained Skyline in 1958, Harry Plant's Sky High in 1960, and Eskimo Prince trained by C.C. Rolls in 1964. For his fans no one could be as superstitious as Athol Mulley. He always wore an old singlet under his racing colours and always made it a point to walk out last from the jockeys' room. Athol Mulley and George Moore were known for their professional feuds that often led to sharp words. Mulley's intentions were to upset Moore before a race, a ploy that didn't work too well often, since according to Roy Higgins, Moore rode better when he was upset.

For Athol Mulley's sake, many of his fans always wanted to put the record straight concerning the 1946 Caulfield Cup and Bernborough after he started the shortest priced favourite in 20 years. Many claimed that Mulley 'slaughtered the great horse'. However, this was far from the truth for those who claim he did not even pull the horse up. For them, Athol Mulley was purely a victim of circumstances beyond his control. Bernborough carried the heaviest weight of 68 kgs in the toughest handicap race of the year, the Caulfield Cup. The young rider was under tremendous pressure to pull off another victory in the big race after fifteen consecutive wins. Over 108,000 punters jostled for a position at the track. Overwhelmed by the pressure, Athol Mulley had even asked Darby Munro to substitute him, however, Munro had already accepted Chaytor as his mount. Added to the burden was Bernborough's heavy saddle as a handicap. Mulley had Bernborough close to the rails and was at the rear in the final turn before making a move when he found a passage down the centre of the track. Although making it to the front was possible, Bernborough was clipped by Carey, who then lost balance and couldn't make it into a winning position.

For the next 20 years Mulley was among Australia's foremost riders. His successes included 2 AJC Derbies, 2 Epsom Handicaps, 3 Golden Slipper Stakes, 3 Newmarket Handicaps, a Metropolitan Handicap, a Brisbane Cup, and most of the country's important weight-for-age events. In 1960-61 he won a second jockeys' premiership. Mulley retired for the first time in 1969, but returned to the saddle and did not finally quit riding until injury forced him to do so in 1978. Known to have a funny side as well, Athol Mulley chose to be an 'absent minded professor', arriving at Rosehill instead of Warwick Farm Racecourse for the races. Apparently, Athol Mulley had read a week's old newspaper before he left home. The legendary jockey succumbed to Parkinson's disease at the age of 78 at a nursing home on the Gold Coast in March 2001. Altogether it is believed that he won some 2000 races, including 110 feature events and more than 40 at Group 1 level. Mulley was inducted into the 2012 Australian Racing Hall of Fame.