Jim Cassidy was one of seven children of Arthur "Blue" and Francie Cassidy of Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand. Cassidy initially rode in New Zealand with Pat Campbell in the Hawkes Bay, having over 500 winners in his country of birth. In a stellar 38-year riding career, ‘The Pumper’ won over 100 Group 1 races, including two Melbourne Cups – the first in 1983 on Kiwi, a $1000 farm horse, where Cassidy came from dead-last to win; the second a famous redemption ride on Might and Power in 1997. His remarkable abilities on the racetrack, combined with his charismatic and larger-than-life personality solidified his position as one of the most celebrated and respected sports figures of his time.

Jimmy had ridden Kiwi to win the 1983 Wellington Cup and travelled with the Snow Lupton-trained gelding to Melbourne for the big Cup. Cassidy, then a 20-year-old virtual unknown in Australia was yet to move to Sydney from New Zealand, but would quickly rise to fame on the Australian turf. For all but the final 600m of the 3200m race that stops a nation, Cassidy and Kiwi sat dead last, close to 40m behind the leaders. Officially the chestnut gelding sat 23rd of the 24 runners from the start of the final turn as Cassidy looked up to see a massive wall of horseflesh, but knew this renowned swooper could mow them all down if he could just weave a path through. Cassidy switched course at least twice to gouge a path through the tiring field and win, the horse just flew late, bolting away with ears pricked in an astounding finish the likes of no one had ever seen before in the great race. It put a young Cassidy on the front pages of every Australian newspaper and kickstarted his journey abroad.

Cassidy also had a great affinity with another Kiwi legend in the John Wheeler trained Rough Habit. The pair won the Doomben Cup over three successive years, in 1991, 1992 and 1993, as well as the All Aged Stakes, Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Caulfield Stakes. Cassidy’s fast life and uncensored opinions led to his exile after the Jockey Tapes scandal in the ’90s. Broke but never broken, he fought back. And even when he was back page and front page news, Cassidy’s popularity never waned. In 1995, Australian Federal Police, who were conducting a surveillance operation on drug dealer Victor Spink, intercepted calls between him and several top jockeys. Cassidy was one of them. He was eventually banned for three years - later reduced to 21 months - for exchanging tips for payment. Forced to sell just about everything he owned, Cassidy had to take up casual labouring jobs.

Cassidy's second Melbourne Cup win was just as satisfying. An all the way win in 1997 aboard Might and Power, who held on to win by a nose despite the second-placed jockey Greg Hall saluting aboard Doriemus, came just ten months after his return from the jockey tapes suspension. He would also win the 1997 Caulfield Cup with Might and Power plus the 1998 W.S Cox Plate. Another Caulfield Cup would follow with Diatribe in 2000. In 2001 Jimmy would claim the Golden Slipper Stakes with Ha Ha for the Gai Waterhouse stable.

An exeptional riding career saw Cassidy claim 104 Group One wins, inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2012 and the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame in 2014. Career highlights include 2 Melbourne Cups, 2 Caulfield Cups a Cox Plate a Golden Slipper, 6 Derbies and 6 Oaks. Cassidy became the third jockey to win 100 group one races, winning his 100th race aboard Zoustar in the Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington on Saturday 2 November 2013. His last big win would come via Disident in the 2015 All Aged Stakes. Jim had the knack of being able to sum up a race and a classic example was in the 2014 Group One Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens aboard Steps in Time. Cassidy cleverly kicked five lengths clear at the 600m and defied all attempts to run him down, with the mare just lasting to win from Sweet Idea.

Brilliance in the saddle and bald-faced cheek in the press made Cassidy the Australian racetrack’s most beloved and controversial character. His horse whispering gifts, gambler’s charm and maverick wit always made him a favourite with the punters, trainers and journalists…but rarely officialdom.