Jamie Egan’s success a story of patience and family devotion

Life’s experiences have a way of bringing out the best of us despite the challenges it presents. For hobby harness racing trainer Jamie Egan that challenge has shaped his life in ways that he could never have imagined.

Jamie whose tough mare Faith Full (Majestic Son) added yet another win to her record in the Speeding Spur at Woodlands Stud Horsham Trotters Cup on Sunday has had more than his share of tests and trials in his time.

Jamie had to interrupt his schedule when he brought up his severely handicapped son Jason who was confined to a wheelchair from birth.

And that has obviously affected his way through life.

Growing up as a young boy Jamie thought only of being with horses despite growing up in suburban Lalor.

I was related to the Hoysteds at Wangaratta so every school holiday I would ride my push bike to their stables and help.

Even at that stage he realised that thoroughbred racing was a far more professional activity but harness racing was ideal for the hobby trainer which turned his attention to standardbreds.

And so he then started to go to the Yarrambat complex which was a thriving harness racing centre on the outskirts of North East Melbourne. It was there that in addition to obtaining his licence he learned off many harness racing trainers including the late Gordon Rothacker, who he idolised as a young man. Other harness racing identities that helped included Charlie Farrugia, Ron Francis and George Mahar.

The late Scott Stewart even drove for me at some stage.

I worked for Carlton and United Breweries for some twenty years in shifts part time which enabled me to become a part time harness racing hobby trainer.

However I used to work as a trimmer which I enjoyed. It was then after some time I decided to go full time as a trimmer.

At the same time my wife Bec and I realised that real estate was too expensive in our area of Whittlesea and Wallan. We found a nice property at Shepparton and we find it ideal.

As a full time trimmer I do about 120,000 kms per year and handle all types of horses. It can be tough and in summer it’s really hot with lots of flies. I work for a lot of horse people including the Miles at Romsey and I go to Wangaratta as well. Bec is a trainer of thoroughbreds and currently has three in work at Benalla.

I was also very keen on greyhounds. At one stage I trained thirty including prolific winners Papaya and Jet To Burn. We’re down to just one greyhound now.

FAITH FULL DEC 8 REPLAY

But back to Faith Full who has now won ten races this time in. After racing outside the leader in the final lap, Faith Full drew clear and confidently handled by James Herbertson she comfortably held off El Conqueror and Jakarta rating 2.5.7 for the testing 2700 metre trip.

She’s been an absolute little ripper since I owned her. She’s been very testing at the start with a few gallops early on. But now she’s getting her confidence and has stepped through her grades nicely and I thought lets have a throw at the stumps at the Horsham cup today.

She’s just so tough. It was a big question mark as to whether she would get that distance.

She seems to like the mile and over 2200 metre distance. This was a bit iffy but she’s been finishing with them and been going pretty good. The way she worked during the week I was pretty confident she’d get the distance.

So I couldn’t be happier with her.

I just like getting horses and racing them week in and week out. Whether they win or not I just enjoy going to the races with them.

That little faith she just keeps stepping up and performing so well. The wife she trains gallopers and she keeps asking me are we going to give her a spell yet. And I said a mare in form you don’t spell. You just keep running them. She’ll tell me when she’s ready for a spell.

And she keeps getting better and better with the consistent racing.

Egan reflected on how he obtained Faith Full.

I retired Harley Blue a pacer of mine who done a tendon. And I was looking for a new horse to buy. Another pacer and I’d never trained a trotter in my life. And the wife actually found Faith Full for sale. I told her it’s a trotter forget about it. I don’t train trotters. And a few days later I still couldn’t find a pacer,  she was still there I kept coming back to her and decided to bite the bullet and have a crack at training trotters. And I haven’t looked back since.

I’ve got a good chiropractor Peter Smith who’s a galloping trainer and he’s been working on her back after every run. Every time she runs she pulls up with a sore back and Peter’s been instrumental. And the wife is extremely fussy with her diet and making sure they’re sound perfectly happy and healthy and she’s just thrived on the love and care.

In addition Egan has another trotter Aldebaran Buddy who he has hopes for.

He beat Faith Full in a trial by ten metres. He was going good and he beat her by ten metres before ripping his back legs open in a fence. It’s been two months and he’s just come back today.

Faith Full will now be set for this Sunday’s Gunbower Trotters Cup.

Egan still remembers those days when he used to take young Jason on fun runs in his wheel chair. We went all over the place, doing both short and long distances.

I remember clearly the last time, we did the Lorne Fun Run but Jason couldn’t keep going on and I realised that this was the end.

Jason passed away in 2017.

As Jason played such an major role in Jamie’s life he is still thought about fondly. And surely after Faith Full’s win at Horsham it would have been another emotional moment for Jamie whose devotion as a father remains an inspiration to us all. And it’s people like Jamie that make harness racing such a worthy and close knit family that we are all privileged to be part of.

By Tony Milanese for Harnesslink