Shane Dye (b. 1966), jockey, was born in Matamata, New Zealand, and served his apprenticeship in New Zealand before coming to Australia in 1985. He won the 1989 Melbourne Cup on Tawrrific, the Golden Slipper four years in a row from 1989 to 1992 and the Cox Plate in 1995; with four Derby winners and nine Oaks winners to his credit also, he was New South Wales's leading jockey in 1990-1991 and 1996-1997. Dye won ninety Australian Group One races, third only to George Moore and Roy Higgins, before moving in 2000 to work in Hong Kong, where he became the leading rider. He was kept out of racing for months after a horrific fall off Ambitious Marju in Hong Kong in June 2006; he returned to Australia in 2008, but as of March 2009 'couldn't get a ride' and went to work in Mauritius. Dye is now establishing a secondary reputation as a poker player.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2009
On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves.
Former NPG Deputy Director, Simon Elliott talks with Ern McQuillan about his life and career as a sports photographer.
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