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Sport

11 May, 2023

James Herbertson reflects on award-winning 2022 campaign

For 23-year-old Lexton local James Herbertson, the sky is clearly the limit in his burgeoning harness racing career. With a strong family history of participation in harness racing, Herbertson seemed to always be destined to pilot horses on the...

By Michael Thompson

Photo: 120523 11
Photo: 120523 11

For 23-year-old Lexton local James Herbertson, the sky is clearly the limit in his burgeoning harness racing career.

With a strong family history of participation in harness racing, Herbertson seemed to always be destined to pilot horses on the track, and it has paid off in spades for the young driver.

Herbertson has been a dominant force around the state scene in recent years, and was rewarded for an excellent 2022 season with the Garrards State Drivers Premiership after a year which yielded 234 wins and a further 413 placings from 1687 races.

Considering the depth of drivers in Victoria, which includes the likes of 2022 Redwood Classic winner Greg Sugars, Kerryn Manning, Kate Gath and Chris Alford, it was a big breakthrough for Herbertson.

Those successes also saw him win the concession drivers premiership for a third year in succession, as the best young driver of the year.

Herbertson’s year included three major victories, which saw him claim the New South Wales Trotters Derby group one race aboard Harry Stamper, while also winning the Breed for Speed Gold Final aboard Aldebaran Crescent.

As a developing driver in his eighth season, Herbertson already has a well-rounded resume, taking four group one wins from 73 starts, as well as 909 wins overall.

After a big 12 months, Herbertson says it was all worth it for the awards.

“It was a great achievement. It was 12 months’ worth of pushing yourself to the limit in terms of workload, travelling and doing as much as you possibly can. It’s great to be able to do it,” he said.

“I’ve been trying to go around as much possible. I don’t knock back a drive. I just try to keep on learning and take things away from every race, and bettering myself as much as I can — being my own biggest critic is a big thing that goes into it.”

The state premiership is a prestigious award for a driver to win, particularly at the state level in Victoria, which takes drivers to popular tracks such as Kilmore and Melton.

Herbertson was pleased to win it, and learned that there was a bit of history behind what he had achieved.

“The main one this year was the state premiership. It’s a big thing for a junior driver to win it, and I believe I’m the youngest driver to win it. I didn’t realise that, they said it on the night. It was a combination of good luck, hard work, and wanting it,” he said.

“This year is the third junior premiership I’ve won in a row. It comes down to the opportunity, what horses you get to drive, and what you can do with them. I like to put in the hours, the miles on the road, and what I put in I should get back if I go about it the right way.”

Herbertson’s biggest policy is treating people the right way, rewarding those who put faith into him to get the job done when driving a horse.

“To me, it comes down to how you’re taught to approach people, and it is all about grounding and how you’re brought up. If you’re not taught how to deal with people, you’ll get left behind. I’ve been lucky to be shown the right way and have the right mentors behind me. They’ve pointed me in the right direction time and time again,” he said.

“There were a couple of group one winners during the year — the New South Wales Trotters Derby and a lot of breed for speed mares races. I rode for David Aiken, who got me going as a metropolitan driver and gave me my first metro winner. He’s backed me for a while with a winner here and there. It was good to get something decent for him.

“I’ve also had a lot of wins for a lot of people — I don’t drive for any of the big stables, but there’s a lot of smaller-name people who are behind me and that’s helped me get to where I am.”

Herbertson is determined to keep bettering himself, continuing to take everything in his stride and take his career to bigger and better places.

“It would be nice to jump on a few fast horses again, that would be lovely. But I just need to keep ticking along, doing what I do and just enjoy it,” he said.

James Herbertson with his awards from 2022 — the Concession Driver of the Year and the Victorian State Premiership. Photo: 120523 16
Photo: 120523 11
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