Danny Miller rode in more than 16,000 races

Miller was forced into retirement in 2018 when he had his licence taken away from him at the age of 70. 

Famous for his longevity, Danny Miller was still riding in races at the age of 70. He has no doubt in his mind that he would have gone on as long as he felt he was able to give it 100% but the decision on a retirement date was taken out of his hands six years ago. 

Last November a mural at Bunbury Turf Club was revealed with Miller as part of the design. Having claimed that he would never set foot on a race track again when he had retirement forced upon him, he has thankfully not stuck to that, able to bring his experience to members of his family as they start in horse racing. 

Born into a horse racing family 

With a dad who trained horses and was still driving them into his 80s, it is no surprise that Miller not only became a jockey but those great genes allowed him the remarkable longevity in the sport that he enjoyed.  
 
Miller had his first ride as a jockey at the age of 14, breaking his maiden tag in the saddle at 15 aboard Sparkling Gem at Ascot. A $33 roughie it was a winner the horse racing bookmakers will have enjoyed and it was the first step on an incredible career path for Miller.  

Fifty-six years as a hoop for ‘Dashing Dan’ 

It was trainer Albert Jordan who coined the ‘Dashing Dan’ nickname for Miller when he went to Pakenham. It was the perfect moniker for a hoop who was best known for his front-running rides. Winners in Melbourne were always a desire for Miller but the Melbourne Cup was one that eluded him with limited opportunities for a Western Australian hoop. 
 
Miller would dominate the big races at the country tracks in WA throughout his career, winning countless Pinjarra Cups as well as the Hannan’s Handicap on a number of occasions. He was a man for the big day as well, trusted by Bart Cummings on WA Derby winners Asgard and Bottled Sunshine in back-to-back years, 1973 and 1974. Miller would also land the Railway Stakes twice, the second time in 2000 on a horse called Northerly.

Northerly and the northern hemisphere 

Northerly would twice win the Cox Plate, Australian Cup and Underwood Stakes but he first came to prominence when winning the Railway Stakes in Perth before he moved east. Miller was the man on top that day as one of the most famous horses in recent decades landed his first Group 1. 
 
Miller would also briefly ride in England, a time he loved despite only riding three winners when he was there in the early 2000s. His final ride would come at Pinjarra on May 10 2018 when dead-heating for second on $26 roughie Fashion Forward. In typical Miller style, he would go from the front before being run down by three-quarters of a length. 

Declared unable to ride on medical grounds 

It was on May 10th 2018 that Racing & Wagering WA took Miller’s licence away. They would declare that he was unfit to ride on medical grounds despite the fact that Miller’s own doctor had continued to pass him fit to ride.  
 
Miller’s immediate reaction was to claim that he would never set foot on a racecourse again and he has thankfully had a change of heart since it is a day that left a sour taste in the mouth of many horse racing fans across the country.

Horse racing is a dangerous sport. All participants want one thing, to finish their career and that is to retire when they are ready on their own terms. At the age of 70 and still riding at a solid level, Danny Miller had that decision taken away from him by the authorities and as a sport, we are poorer for that.