Latest news with #JamesHerbertson
News.com.au
7 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Young gun harness driver Jordan Leedham seizing opportunities in James Herbertson's absence
Emerging young Victorian driver Jordan Leedham is seizing the moment. With Australia's premier driver, the Victorian-based James Herbertson, holidaying overseas, Leedham is making the most of some increased opportunities. The 22-year-old snared two wins a second and a third at Melton last Saturday night, taking his tally of wins to 16 since returning from a suspension from driving on May 9. 'It's the most exciting time in my career and what I've worked hard for,' Leedham said. 'Not long ago, I'd have been driving at Mildura Friday, but now I'm at Melton and Geelong and with good books of drives, too. 'I'm having a fantastic run. There's no doubt 'Herbie' (Herbertson) being away has opened a big opportunity for me. 'When he gets back, I'll have to tell him how good he looked driving in the US and Sweden and he should head back there.' • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Leedham's momentum started to build when he teamed with his 'bosses' Andy and Kate Gath for the biggest win of his career aboard $81 outsider Kitzbuhel Delight in the $200,000 Nutrien 2YO final at Melton on April 11. 'It was a great time to get my name in lights when Herbie was about to go away. Unfortunately, I was suspended for the first two weeks after he went away, but I hit the ground running as soon as I got back,' he said. Now Leedham, who boasts 309 career wins, has grabbed the attention of Australia's most dominant stable, Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin again. 'It's about two years since I've driven for them and, as you'd expect, you've got to earn your stripes to drive their horses,' he said. Leedham will take the reins on Stewart's exciting Meteor Moth, a winner of eight of his 11 starts, in race two at Melton on Saturday night. • Champion pacer takes massive Leap outside comfort zone The recent splurge has Leedham on target to smash his personal best of 79 wins in a season at a strike of 13 per cent in 2022. He's already driven 41 winners this year at 15 per cent. Nine of those wins have been metropolitan level to put him equal fifth on the metropolitan driver's premiership, just eight wins behind the leader, Kate Gath. 'It's been especially rewarding to pick up drives for stables I haven't driven for before or rarely do. I've really noticed it over the past two months,' Leedham said. 'For so long it was a buzz if I got one or two drives at Melton, now I'm getting books or four, five or six drives.' Given Leedham has worked for 'Team Gath' for about four years, it's no surprise his two favourites come from the powerful Long Forest stable. 'Yambukian is number one now. He's been great to me. And Watts Up Partytime would be a clear second,' he said. Leedham boasts two wins and six placings on Yambukian, while he has partnered Watts Up Partyime to four wins. 'Andy and Kate have been great supporters and it's always a thrill to drive a winner for them,' he said.
News.com.au
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Harness racing: Champion driver James Herbertson to ponder future after Greg Sugars' passing
Australia's premier driver James Herbertson flew back to the US on Tuesday a shattered man and with a huge career decision to make. Herbertson, 24, spoke glowingly and straight from the heart about his great mate Greg Sugars at Monday's memorial service for the champion driver, who died on April 26. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'Greg was another father, a mentor and idol … Greg, you'll never know the pedestal I had you on,' Herbertson said. Herbertson had earlier jetted back from a working holiday in the US soon after Sugars' shock passing. 'I couldn't stay in the US then. I wasn't in the right headspace to stay and had to get back to support Jess,' he said. 'Now my whole world has changed and will never be the same. 'I'm going back to finish what I started in the US. It's a chance to reset. 'To be honest, I wasn't planning on staying that long in Australia once I finished this trip, but there is so much more to consider now. 'Jess (Tubbs) will need a worker and a driver … we've all got a lot of thinking to do.' Herbertson will spend a week back in New Jersey then travel to Stockholm during the iconic Elitlopp carnival later this month. 'I'll have a week or 10 days working in a stable there and then Ewa (Justice, girlfriend) and I will have some actual holiday time in Poland and maybe another place or two. 'We don't have a fixed return date. I don't feel like putting a time on things right now, I want to play it by ear.' Herbertson drove four of the 10 winners at Melton last Saturday night, including two for Tubbs (Illawong Larajay and No Money No Honey). Tubbs has a big and impressive team of horses in work under the Larajay Farms brand she and Sugars built so quickly and successfully. Following the huge success of Kiwi Dexter Dunn and Aussie brothers Andy and Todd McCarthy, Herbertson has the credentials to become a driver in demand should he make the US home. Despite already spending a couple of weeks in the US, Herbertson still holds a 20-win lead (with 106 wins) in this season's Australian Drivers' Premiership over Queenslander Pete McMullen. Herbertson stamped his emergence on a national level when he dominated last year's premiership, finishing the season with 370 wins, 93 clear of runner-up McMullen.
News.com.au
12-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘The world stopped turning on April 26': Harness racing pays emotional tribute to the late Greg Sugars at Melton memorial service
Greg Sugars took centre stage at Melton one last time. The racetrack where the champion horseman drove the majority of his winners and celebrated some of his greatest moments, on Monday became the place where family, friends and the harness industry emotionally farewelled him. More than 1000 people, from all around Australia and many from NZ, gathered to hear stories of Sugars the person as much as Sugars the Hall of Fame horseman. Sugars' wife, Jess Tubbs, opened the tributes and was followed by Australia's premier driver and close friend James Herbertson, Sugars' sister, Kylie, friend and Alabar Bloodstock supremo Brett Coffey and close Kiwi friend and horseman, Gavin Smith. NZ's greatest horseman Mark Purdon flew across and other touching tributes followed from former HRNSW CEO John Dumesny, top horseman Geoff Webster, former Adelaide race caller Jim Jacques and Malcolm Wells, managing owner of Tubbs and Sugars' champion trotter Just Believe. Tubbs showed remarkable strength and vulnerability as she spoke of the life they built and the devastating loss she felt. 'After two really hard years where we focused on work more than ourselves, 2025 was meant to be our year,' she said. 'Greg was the dreamer and I was the voice of reason, it's why we worked so well together. 'There are no answers yet (as to how Sugars died), but hopefully we will in time.' Sugars died in his sleep on April 26. Tubbs and Sugars shared the greatest of highs with Just Believe, who took them around the world and won them 10 Group 1 races. He retired in January the second-richest earning trotter in Australasian history. 'The bond 'Harry' (Just Believe's stable name) and Greg had was incredible and I firmly believe he wouldn't have reached the heights he did without Greg,' Tubbs said. Wells added: 'Jess and Greg took us on a journey we could only dream of.' Herbertson, who flew back from a working holiday in the US, said Sugars was 'like another father, a mentor and an idol'. 'Greg, you'll never know the pedestal I had you on … the world stopped turning on April 26.' His sister, Kylie, talked of life growing-up in the outer suburbs of Adelaide with father Ross, a decorated horseman, and mother, Kerry. 'Try and all live your lives like Greg did. He lived it like he wanted and to heck with the finer details,' she said. 'And he went to places two kids growing up in Virginia could only dream of.' Gavin Smith first met Sugars in Adelaide 18 years ago when competing in the Australasian Young Drivers' Championship. 'I knew within two minutes we could be great mates. I remember when Jim Jacques (race caller) introduced all us drivers to the crowd in that series. We all shook our heads when Jim gave Greg the most lavish of intros, I looked over and that was the first time I saw that huge smile of his … I've never forgotten it.' Sugars, just 40, had already built a Hall of Fame career with wins in so many of Australasia's biggest races. He drove more than 4000 winners, including 71 at Group 1 level. Such was his impact, drivers throughout Australia, NZ, Sweden and numerous US tracks wore black armbands today or will in the coming days.
