The racing industry is in shock today after Greek Australian jockey Stathi Katsidis was found dead in his home this morning.
He was a good bloke. He was one of those happy-go-lucky fellas. He didn’t have an enemy, I’ll bet on that. I can’t believe it.
The Age is reporting the champion jockey was found by his partner, Melissa Jackson, in their home in the northern Brisbane suburb of Hendra.
Police have said there are no suspicious circumstances.
Katsidis, who was 31, was due to ride Shoot Out in this Saturday’s Cox Plate race at Moonee Valley.
In an interview with Neos Kosmos only last week, the jockey said he was confident about this year’s Spring Racing Carnival, describing Shoot Out as a “happy” horse.
“From a Cox Plate point of view, he’s a great chance and I really think
he can win the Melbourne Cup; it’s very exciting,” he said.
His trainer John Wallace told the Age he was shocked.
“He was a good bloke,” he said.
“He was one of those happy-go-lucky fellas.
“He didn’t have an enemy, I’ll bet on that. I can’t believe it.”
Ross Inglis, chairman of the Australian Jockey’s Association, told the Herald Sun it was “a great loss to Australian racing”.
“It’s very, very sad,” he said.
”We really felt that Stathi had turned the corner in the past years as evidenced by the fact he rode the most number of winners of any jockey in Australia last season.
“I congratulated him when he came down here this spring to ride Shoot Out on his achievement. He turned things around and he was telling me how hard he had worked.
“He was prepared to go off and ride three or four times a week outside Brisbane.
“He worked very hard, kept his head down and bum up.”
His brother, Michael Katsidis, is a world champion boxer and in training for a fight in Las Vegas on November 27.