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Today is the tenth anniversary of death of one of the best jockeys in the history of Służewiec, Tomasz Dul (28.01.1950-25.02.2005). On this occasion, we would like to commemorate his jockey career and to publish a transcript of a chat which took place at the end of May 2003 at the office of “Życie Warszawy”. Since 2006, the Tomasz Dul Memorial is the main race during the season start.

The star of this excellent jockey shone fully after winning Derby in 1989 on Krezus trained by Mirosław Stawski. During the next 15 seasons, up to his tragic death at the age of 55 (25th February 2005, in a car accident near Warka) he had been the unquestioned leader and the most popular jockey at Służewiec. It was the time when the audience was often heard calling: “Go on, Dul, the Track King”!

Unlike most, he was able to prepare his horses during the training sessions, and later, with exquisite maestry, sending them into the race, not abusing the whip. He often played hide and seek with his rivals. His championship repertoire included, e.g. easy or certain victories, even “by the length of the head”. During his last season, at the age of 54, he still presented his best sports technique and maintained weight of 55-57 kgs.

His track debut took place in 1967, but he had longer breaks in the following year. He worked, i.e., at the House Factory. He recorded his first victory only in 1978, and received the jockey title five years later, winning the hundredth race on Knieja trained by Andrzej Walicki.

After Walicki leaving the stable, he worked for eight years at Stawski and Dorota Kałuba, three times winning the Derby race on horses of this elite coach (1997 – on Mustafa, 1998 – on Arctic, and 2000 – on Dżamajka). He would have probably won also in 1994 on Limak, but he had to undergo an appendix surgery three weeks before the race.

During the last two years of his life, he worked at the stable of coach Maciej Janikowski. He won the fifth blue Derby ribbon on Montbad while being with this stable. This horse, though, passed the finish line as the second, behind Królowa Śniegu ridden by Małgorzata Maroszek and trained by Dorota Kałuba, however, he was announced the winner after a protest acknowledged by the Technical Committee. The second place was awared to Domus, finishing as the third. According to the committee, this horse was interrupted (crossing) by Królowa Śniegu during the final stretch. The brave mare finally took the third place. Then she won the Oaks (under Dul!, by a short head ahead of Nitisara), the St. Leger and finished third in The Great Warsaw (under Mirosław Pilich in both races). She was chosen the Horse of the Year in an after-season poll run by “Życie Warszawy”.

In addition to five wins in the Derby, he won The Great Warsaw three times (1990 – Novara, 1998 – Arctic and 2000 – Dżamajka). In 2000, he beat the pre-war record of number of wins in a single season – 140 (139 at home, one abroad). He regretted that so little remained to beat the best pre-war achievement of the French jockey Edwrd Gill ,who won 142 times on Pole Mokotowskie in 1937. In the first half of the 1990s, he worked for three seasons (since November until the end of April) at a stable of one of the sheiks at Abu Dhabi and was the only Polish jockey to have successfully competed on tracks there. His career total number of wins was 1311.

A month before the tragic trip to Warka area (he wanted to do a favour for his stable friend and collect her children from their winter holidays) he passed the coach exam. He planned to end his jockey career in two years time and start a stable.

On 3rd March, 2005, the “Track King” was bid the final farewell at the cemetery in Pyry, by his closest family and by multitude of friends, colleagues and fans. According to the tradition, the jockey was accompanied in his final journey by his horse, saddled with the characteristic, red racing saddle and a black cloth with number 1.
Tomasz Dul was undoubtedly, together with Jerzy Jendaszewski and Mieczysław Mełnicki, one of the most excellent jockeys in the history of Służewiec. In addition to the yearly Memorial, he is commemorated by a plate embedded at the main entrance to the VIP Stand.