Sport
10 July, 2026
James Herbertson earns 2000th win
Local harness racing super-star James Herbertson has joined an esteemed club of elite drivers to win a whopping 2000 career races.
A journey that began with victory in his first race for his father Ashleigh aboard Tearitup on March 9, 2016, culminated over a decade later.
After bagging two victories at the Maryborough Harness Racing Club on Monday, Herbertson found himself on the precipice of the historic achievement on Wednesday, July 1 at the Bendigo Harness Racing Club.
Starting the meet with second-place finishes in the opening two paces was somewhat of an ominous sign, but the two-time Australian Drivers’ Premiership and Australian Drivers Championship winner reached 2000 with victories aboard Cool Story and Tommys Lookout.
“It feels good, it’s a lot of winners and a pretty big number, and it’s the result of a lot of years working hard at it,” Herbertson said about the accomplishment.
“I never thought I would reach 2000 wins. You go out and win as often as you can, drive fast horses and win nice races for people.
“There was a bit of relief because it was a slow week leading up to it and it took a while to get there in the end.
“It was a very wet, disgusting night at Bendigo and it was something to enjoy out of it that’s for sure.”
Last Wednesday marked another milestone in the incredible career of Australia’s premier reinsman, who added the $350,000 2026 Ultimate Driver Championship to his stacked resume last February, winning six of the 20 series races against some of the world’s best drivers.
Despite his incredible riches of success, Herbertson said his passion to perfect his profession remains as fiery as ever.
“This is just one of those things that’s pretty cool that you’re able to win that many races really. I’ve had a lot of great opportunities, and it’s just a result of plenty of things going my way,” he said.
“There’s been plenty of people along the way that have helped me immensely.
“I do a lot of self-reflection, and I’m always wanting to get better and be as good as I possibly can be, but that just takes time and patience.”