‘Weekend warrior’ makes a winning move

Longtime harness racing owner Jamie Kirk has always wanted to try his hand at training, and a decision to take the plunge last season has brought quick results.

Kirk’s career strike rate for placings is running at better than 50 percent, and he recently recorded his fourth winner from fewer than 30 starts.

“I was what I call a ‘weekend warrior’ for a very long time, probably 20 years or more,” Kirk said.

“I owned horses and had them with Bill Galea and later Adam Kelly and I would go out at weekends and on hopple up days and be involved that way,” he said.

“But I pretty much decided just to do it, so I got my trainer’s licence last year.”

The decision brought immediate results from his stable star Rakajed (A Rocknroll Dance), who ran second and third before giving Kirk his first win at his third training start in April last year.  He’s since recorded two further wins with the now five-year-old, including his most recent victory at Melton earlier this month (Jan 12).

“In the past three or four runs he’s just been getting better,” Kirk said.

“I put the blocks back on him this time in, and he seems to have just decided to wake up.  I’ve done it before with him, but it’s definitely worked this time.  I’m hoping he can keep improving and he might be able to win a Metropolitan class race at some stage.”

Rakajed was purchased from New Zealand by Kirk, who has also been a regular buyer at Victorian yearling sales over the years.  The best horse he has owned, $100k winner Ball Dancer (Presidential Ball) was a yearling sales purchase, but after her retirement from racing was also the catalyst for Kirk to try breeding.  All six of her progeny recorded multiple wins, most notably Lets Get Shorty (13 wins) (Somebeachsomewhere), who was a recent Albion Park winner (Jan 16).

Kirk first found his way into harness racing through his brother-in-law Emmanuelle Baldacchino, who raced Victorian Breeders Plate winning mare Majestic Tess (Golden Greek) in the 1990s.

“That was my first involvement and that will get you in!  I started going to Moonee Valley and from then on, I’ve loved it. I love the sport and the people in it,” he said.

The Melbourne businessman has spent the past 15 years establishing and building a fire protection services company but decided last year to take a step back.

“Training was something I always wanted to do myself but through work commitments and not having enough knowledge the time wasn’t right,” he said.

“But in the end, you just have to draw a line.  If you keep letting all the outside things pull you away, you’d never put a bridle on a horse.”

Kirk rented boxes at the Cranbourne Training Centre where he and his good mate, fellow trainer George Batsakis help each other out.

“George does an enormous amount for me, and there’s a great little community there – the Cranbourne Coffee Club! It’s a great atmosphere and there’s plenty of help and advice around,” he said.

“You have to have goals and I would love to think that I might be able to win a Group One one day – I guess that’s what we’re all in it hoping!  But I’m just loving it at the moment and looking forward to what’s ahead. We have a nice little Captain Treacherous filly, Our Chiquitita that I like a lot so at the moment I’m just looking forward to getting her to the races.”

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink