Herbertson ready to finish season 2024 in style

Top young Victorian harness racing driver James Herbertson is poised to cap a fairytale and record-breaking season with more glory in coming days.

Herbertson, 24, is romping away with his first national drivers’ premiership, has almost twice as many wins as his nearest Victorian rival and also landed his first two Group 1 pacing wins in 2024.

On Sunday, he joins Hall of Famer Chris Alford to represent Victoria in the Australian Drivers’ Championship at Globe Derby in Adelaide. It’s a title he won in Adelaide two years ago.

Two days later, Herbertson will be back home facing nine of Victoria’s best young drivers (under 25) in the exciting Young Guns series at Melton on New Year’s Eve.

“I got Christmas Day off, but it’s certainly a busy finish to the year. Super exciting, though,” Herbertson said.

“It’s been a big and very rewarding year, but one I needed and one I set myself for.

“I said a year or so back, driving lots of winners was important, but I needed to be in more of the big races and winning some of them was what I wanted.

“I’ve built on the day-to-day wins, but added a few big ones. It’s so important to me to get the mix of both.”

Herbertson, based at Lexton near Ballarat, admits he is looking forward as much to facing his contemporaries in the Young Guns as he is taking on some of Australia’s best drivers in the Adelaide series.

“It’s such a great initiative and so important. It’ll be great to take on such an aggressive and smart group of young drivers, who are the future of the sport,” he said.

“I’m sure it’ll be really competitive racing and a great spectacle.

“And the prize for winning is amazing, a once in a lifetime trip to the Elitlopp in Sweden and time with one of the top stables over there.”

Before that, can Herbertson add a second Australian Driving Championship crown in Adelaide?

“I hope so. It’s an incredible line-up and so much will come down to luck, but I can’t wait to give it a crack. It’s always a privilege to represent your state,” he said.

by Adam Hamilton, for Harness Racing Victoria