Hundreds are expected to attend the Prayers of Christian Burial at Sts Peter and Paul’s Cathedral at 2pm Wednesday. It will be followed by burial at the Goulburn Lawn Cemetery where his beloved wife, Phyllis is also at rest.

‘Jockey,’ a much-loved Goulburn identity, died on Friday night, aged ninety-two.

Longtime friend and former Goulburn and District Racing Club president, Fred Cooper is sorry he can’t attend the funeral due to a pre-booked interstate visit. But he was with the man who he and wife, Jill were friends with for more than 60 years when he passed away at about 8.30pm.

“It’s a big loss of a good friend to me and Jill,” he said.

“The work he did for the Racing Club was something special. He loved the racetrack and that’s why we named the gatehouse after him a couple months ago. He was chuffed by that. We wanted to do more for him but he was just too ill.”

Every Friday night the two men would share a drink at the Workers Club. After Phyllis died in 2008, Mr and Mrs Cooper regularly took ‘Jockey’ to the races and on social outings.

“He knew everyone. We’ll miss him because he always had a story to tell, especially to the women,” Mr Cooper said.

The pair met through their love of football. Mr Cooper was on the Goulburn United Roosters team board in the 1950s, while Jockey was “the biggest critic of everything.”

“He knew more than the coaches, of course, and he was a staunch United supporter,” Mr Cooper laughed.

He recalled how someone made up a metal rooster and mounted it on the roof of Jockey’s Auburn Street home in 1962. Another person painted it in blue and gold, the colours of arch rival team, Goulburn Workers. Jockey found out about it and promptly enlisted a person to repaint it in United’s maroon and gold colours. The rooster remains on his house.

Former Racing Club president Barry Cranston told The Post that in 1963, Jockey dyed 200 pigeons in United colours and released them at the grand final against Goulburn Workers.

“We won,” he quipped.

When Mr Cranston asked Mr Cooper to join the race club board, the latter asked Jockey to come too. He was the jack of all trades, manning the gatehouse, the horse gate and even serving on the bar.

“Everyone in the industry knew Jockey more than they knew me because he talked to everyone,” Mr Cooper said.

Mr Cooper was Race Club president for 30 years up until 2015. All the while, Jockey was a staunch friend and helper. 

He was a regular visitor to Waminda where Jockey resided for the past six weeks. He’d spot him sitting in the sun room talking to residents, many of whom he’d visited previously on his ‘rounds.’

“There wouldn’t be a more likable man with the things he used to do, like visiting people in hospital. No one else would do it,” Mr Cooper said.

“You could rely on Jockey to be a mate and help you out.”

Mr Cooper was surprised how rapidly he deteriorated. 

“It was very sad to see him in that state,” he said.

“I was with him when he passed away... He had a good life. I thought he’d outlive us all.”

Former Goulburn City Mayor Tony Lamarra and wife Adriana also extended their condolences to Jockey’s family.

They first met in 1954 when Jockey, then working for Murrays Meats, supplied Mr Lamarra’s Fanmorco Coffee Lounge on the corner of Goldsmith and Auburn Street with meat.

The butchery was just across the road and Jockey often popped in for a ‘cuppa.’

They became firm friends and later, when Mr Lamarra was appointed Mayor, he’d call in for a chat about civic affairs and “old times.”

“He was always supportive of me and always cheerful and happy...The city has lost a great man,” he said.