Darren won 85 Group 1 races and was the youngest jockey ever to be inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame

DARREN Beadman grew up in Canberra riding from a young age. Darren also spoke about leaving home at 15 to become an apprentice to Theo Green, who was a mentor and second father to him. Beadman first gained notice while winning the Sydney apprentice jockeys' title in his first season of 1982–83, managing to finish second in 1983-84 and winning again in 1984–85. Beadman piloted Inspired to the winning post in 1984 in taking Australia's premier two-year-old event, the Golden Slipper Stakes, for his first Group 1 win. He repeated that feat on Guineas in 1997. While still a teenager he rode in France for John Fellows winning the 1985 Prix Morny on Regal State.

The 1996 triumph on Saintly was his second Melbourne Cup victory after riding Kingston Rule to the winning post in 1990. Other outstanding achievements included his winning the Doncaster-Epsom Handicap double on Super Impose in 1991. In the 1994-95 season Beadman won the Sydney jockeys' premiership and rode an Australian record 186 winners on all tracks. But the champion jockey, who was the pin-up guy of the racing world in the mid-90s, gave it all up in 1997 to go to Bible College and become a pastor. With his return to racing in 2000, Beadman added a further 33 Group 1s to his total, with his partnership with champion Lonhro being the highlight of his renewed career. He gained further Sydney jockeys' premierships in 2002-3, 2003-04, 143 wins in 2004-05, 152 wins in 2005-06 and a record breaking 162 wins in 2006-07.

Beadman moved to Hong Kong in 2007 to become the stable jockey for John Moore in Hong Kong and helped the trainer to his first premiership in almost 20 years. Beadman has ridden more than 250 winners in Hong Kong including Hong Kong International Bowl twice, the CXHK Sprint, and the MBHK Derby. In February 2012 Beadman suffered a serious head injury at Sha Tin Racecourse. The jockey fell when a horse broke both of its legs underneath him in a barrier trial. Beadman suffered a diffuse axonal brain injury and a broken cheekbone from the fall. He underwent rehabilitation for his injury in both Hong Kong and Sydney. As a result of the injuries sustained in the barrier trial fall in Hong Kong, Beadman announced his retirement from race riding in October 2012. In 2014 it was announced that Beadman had taken up a position as an assistant trainer with the Darley Racing organisation under head trainer John O'Shea.

In May 2017, Beadman became the interim head trainer for the Australian Godolphin stable after the resignation of John O'Shea. During his time as head trainer for the Australian Godolphin stable, Beadman had 233 runners, for 36 winners, including the 2017 Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap with 3-year-old colt Impending. Beadman held this position for two months until James Cummings was appointed head trainer. Beadman remains as an assistant trainer to Cummings in the Godolphin stable.