Dick Roden

Dick Roden (8 November 1925 – 21 August 1991) was an Australian racehorse trainer. He trained Macdougal, which was in 1959, the first horse to win the Brisbane Cup, Metropolitan Handicap and Melbourne Cup in the same year. Roden became in 1959 Australia's youngest ever trainer of a Melbourne Cup winner until 58 years later.

Early life Richard William Roden was born in Mackay, Queensland. His father Bill was a veterinary surgeon. In 1968 Roden met the Filipino businessman Felipe Ysmael and Roden took on his stable of Australian horses including Tereus, Sliver Strike and Divide & Rule taking them to some success. When Ysmael was disqualified from involvement in Australian racing after the 1968 Follow Me scandal, Dick & Elaine bought Divide & Rule from Ysmael. It was one of the largest betting plunges in Australian racing history. A few weeks later Divide & Rule won the Doomben Cup starting as an even favourite. In 1970 Divide & Rule was leased by the Rodens to Mrs Muriel Blum of Chicago. It won a further US$90,000 in prize money there in addition to the $80,000 it had won in Australian starts.

Dick Roden gave up his trainer's license in 1970 at the point of Divide & Rule's transfer to the USA. Roden became a publican in Waterloo, Sydney for a period in the 1970s. In the mid 1970s Dick and Elaine relocated back to Queensland where they established a successful breeding business in Roden Bloodstock.

Training record In a relatively short training career of less than two decades and with only a small team of horses his classic, group and listed winners included: Kev Mar: 1953 Queensland Guineas; 1954 AJC Villiers. Gresford: 1954 QTC Lightning Handicap. French Charm: 1955 Moonee Valley Stakes; 1956 Theo Marks Quality. El Khobar: 1956 Doomben 10,000, QTC Ascot Handicap. AJC Warwick Stakes Barron Boissier: 1957 Hotham Handicap; 1957 Colin Stephens Stakes; 1958 Alister Clark Stakes. Raajpoot: 1961 Queensland Derby and Queensland Cup. Hoa Hine: 1962 QTC Oaks. Nebo Road: 1965 Breeders Plate; 1967 Newmarket Handicap. Honeyland: 1967 Canterbury Guineas. Divide and Rule: 1969 AJC Derby; 1970 Doomben Cup; 1970 Stradbroke Handicap.

Later life Roden lived out his retirement in the Blackall Ranges overlooking Queensland's Sunshine Coast. He died in 1991 aged 65 and is survived by his sons Daniel and Richard.