Tony Bourke FAREWELL TO THE KING
By Patrick Bartley
Legendary racing journalist and long-time Melbourne Cup Tour ambassador Tony Bourke passed away peacefully on 7 February at the age of 81. Born in the 1940s into humble beginnings, Tony Bourke achieved a distinguished career as a racing writer for The Age newspaper, working there for 42 years before retiring in 2008. His career began in 1955 when Bourke gained a cadetship with The Truth , where the racing coverage was the most revered in Australia. In the 1960s, Bourke joined The Sydney Telegraph for a short time, before The Sun News-Pictorial . He was lured to The Age in 1966, where he was Deputy Racing Editor. After a short stint at the ill-fated Newsday , Bourke returned to The Age and soon became their Chief Racing Writer. It was a dream job for a racing fan. He idolised some of the great stayers like Light Fingers and maintained that Tulloch’s mantle as the best ever would have been genuinely challenged had Kingston Town won a Melbourne Cup. Through the decades, Bourke was a part of an ever-evolving industry. He watched while the TAB came in the mid-1960s and then as trainers such as Colin Hayes, Bart Cummings and Tommy Smith broke records. Bourke was well-known by his nickname, “The King” bestowed on him in the 1970s, after landing the quaddie over several weeks. In 2008, The King retired from The Age after a stunning career that spanned nearly half a century. Renowned for his kindness and willingness to help others, Tony Bourke will be missed by many.
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