Darby__In a Life Time__Reg Fleming

Dec 1962
Alspick (R. McCarthy) wins AJC Summer Cup

Queensland aboriginal jockey R. “Darby” McCarthy, rode a calculating race. His horsemanship to-day should put him in top demand for classic events.

July 1963
Re: Doomben Cup

Final acceptances for the Ten Thousand and the Doomben Cup to be run on Saturday week, are due to morrow. Queensland jockey R. ‘Darby’ McCarthy, who won the Stradbroke Handicap on Mullala has decided to ride Prince Regoli in the cup.

Prince Regoli is equal favourite with Merthyr for the £10.000 race.

McCarthy said he had decided not to ride Mullal in the cup because he thought the horse faced a difficult task with 9.1.

19 Dec 1964
Photo of Darby on horse

Richard McCarthy, alias “Darby” McCarthy, who will ride Rosier Sun in the Villiers today.

Richard was called “Darby” because his christian name was too long for a jockey.

Pa Easton and Noel Thompson call him Darby when his first (1st) win at an amateur race at a picnic race day at Thargomindah in Western Queensland.

Darby was 10 years of age at the time, the jockey he was named after was Darby Monroe, in later years Darby would be a close friend and companion to Darby Monroe (in the later part of his life).

Darby Monroe owned the Coogee Bay Hotel in Sydney, where Darby McCarthy also lived.