Hugh Munro (trainer)

Hugh "Hughie" Munro (1861 – 2 June 1925) was trainer for W. R. Wilson at the Whittington, Victoria, St Albans Stud, managed by C. Leslie Macdonald.

Hugh Munro always believed his youngest son Darby, who as a lad knew how to sit on a horse, would one day become one of Australia's most notable riders.

[2] James Leslie "Jim" "Jimmie" Munro (7 September 1906 – 24 July 1974) was born in Caulfield, Victoria, and was recognised by Dick Wootton and William Kelso as a talented rider when quite young, and rode for his father, completing his apprenticeship as a jockey with E. F. Walker (c. 1884–1946), the Randwick, New South Wales, trainer.

He won many other major races in Melbourne and Sydney during the 1920s: on Valicare in the Doncaster, Boaster in the Epsom and Leslie Wallace in the Sires Produce Stakes.

Trainer Frank McGrath chose his brother Darby as a suitable replacement, ensuring that rider's place in Cup history.

He returned to Australia, but having increasing difficulty in keeping his weight down, quit racing for training, and had some success with Tel Asur and Opulent the 1952 Sydney Cup.

This same article asserts that Darby got his jockey's ticket as his father's apprentice, but his first race was on Carey's Karuma in a Tattersall's Two-year-old Handicap on 21 May 1927, and was beaten by a horse named Rosso.

His services were soon in demand by such famous trainers as Jackson "Jack" Holt "the Wizard of Mordialloc" (c. 1880–1951), Bailey Payten (c. 1896 – 9 September 1948),[8] and Peter Riddle (c. 1885 – 29 June 1947).