For former Bendigo-based hoop Ron Burgess, his win in the two-year-old maiden on April 28, 1988, will stick with him until the day he dies.

The horse was Better Loosen Up.

“We thought he could win and (trainer) Les (Theodore) told me not to tell anyone,’’ Burgess said.

“The only people I told were my mother-in-law and my father-in-law yet everyone that I ran into on course that day or around town for weeks later said that Les had tipped them the horse.

“They (the owners) had some money on the horse for me, so I got something out of it. I remember we had a great night celebrating that night at the Jolly Puddler.”

Better Loosen Up, who passed away this week aged 30, went on to become one of the greats of Australian racing.

He won the Japan Cup, the W.S. Cox Plate, the Australian Cup, multiple Group One races and was named Australian Horse of the Year in 1991.

“We always thought he’d make a nice horse, but you could never imagine that he’d go on and do what he did,’’ 62-year-old Burgess said.

“I helped break him in and rode him in trials. He always gave you a nice feeling… he just put his head down and did everything you asked.

“We thought he’d win his first start in a race (November, 1987). He ran well that day, but he was shin sore.”

After a spell, Les Theodore set Better Loosen Up for a 2YO maiden at Bendigo.

“He’d shown some ability and we thought he’d win, but he didn’t win by a street,’’ Burgess said.

“We sat just behind the speed and he wore them down. He didn’t have the brilliance as a two-year-old.

“He did enough to win that day and then just kept improving after that.”

Burgess rode Better Loosen Up at his next two starts at Bendigo and Flemington which produced unplaced runs.

The horse was then sold and moved to the Sydney stables of Bart Cummings.

“Bart won a few races with him, but it wasn’t until he fully matured as a four and five-year-old that we really saw how good the horse was,’’ Burgess said.

Better Loosen Up went on to conquer the world’s best horses when under the care of the Hayes stable.

Burgess, who is now based in Boort, won Group races in Australia and overseas in a distinguished riding career.

“It’s nice to look back and know that I was the first jockey to win on such a champion,’’ Burgess said.

“They can never take that off me.”