Nothing beats the taste of winning!

Victorian hobby trainer James Warnock was bitten by the harness racing bug when, in the late 1970s, he watched the construction of the state-of-the-art Beckley Park, at Geelong.

The Scottish native was a keen soccer player in his early years, but said he was lured to harness racing after knee surgery in his late 20s.

“I used to walk the dog in the mornings and would go up to where the Geelong track was being constructed. I watched it being built, and I thought it wouldn’t be bad fun to get involved,” Warnock said.

“I met (trainer-driver) Bill Bond and Bill told me to just come along and hang around with him and see if I liked it.  But he did say that first he wanted to talk with my wife, Carol, to make sure she knew what I was signing up for!”

And 40 years on, with Carol’s blessing, Warnock’s obvious love of the sport is being passed on to a third generation – no doubt due in part to the family’s “winner winner chicken dinners” that are popping up regularly this season!

“We go off as a family to the races and everyone comes around for Kentucky Fried to celebrate a good win!” Warnock said.

“We went to Cranbourne recently, myself, my son Paul, and Paul’s son Liam and Liam’s girlfriend and I guess that’s what I love most about it, is that it brings your family together.”

The Warnock family was only young when, after testing the sport alongside Bond, Warnock went on to get his trainer’s licence in 1983.  He had a winner with the first horse he trained, Manwarra Star at Boort, driven by Bond.

“Carol and I bought the place we are still on now out here at Lara. It was on six acres and used as a greyhound training complex, but we put in stables and used the kennels to make a feedroom and tackroom. We were pretty lucky,” Warnock said.

“My own family didn’t have any involvement in the sport at all. My mum, dad, my sister and myself came out in 1965 when I was 12 years old.  I guess mum and dad wanted to try to give us a better life, and Australia was seeking migrants at the time,” he said.

“They didn’t know anyone else in Australia, so it was a big move – but on the second day here mum, dad and my sister all got jobs.  It wasn’t a case of finding a job, it was a case of which one do you want?”

After leaving school Warnock began work at the Geelong Ford plant, but moved into independent contracting in the 1980s and 90s, spending time working in the UK, Japan and USA.

But his interest in the sport continued, driving at times as well as training and getting into breeding.  Paul joined him in the late 1990s as a driver, and later a trainer.

Warnock’s best horse was trotter, Kano Ned (Entrepreneur), formerly trained by Bill Bond, who won 11 races including the Coulter Crown at Moonee Valley and a Terang Cup.

They also have Bond to thank for their broodmare, Kano Star (Exotic Earl), who has provided them with Caledonian Kano (2 wins), Caledonian Attack (5 wins), Caledonian Robert (5 wins) and Caledonian Terra (2 wins).

Warnock’s most recent winner, the 72^nd of his career, was four-year-old gelding Caledonian Ranger (Metropolitan) in the GMG Financial Group Pace at Charlton (Aug 19).  He names the horses he breeds with the Caledonia moniker, a poetic name for Scotland, and Paul’s breed are named Roblen, after his grandparents Robert and Helen.

“Paul and I really work as a team. I’m on six acres here and I’ve got a 500 metre jog track, but Paul’s got a bigger property at Teesdale where he can have broodmares and foals,” he said.

“We catch up once a week or so for fastwork and help each other out where we can.

“I love it. Yes, sure, it costs you money, but it’s a hobby, and you don’t expect to make money out of it.  It keeps me busy, and it brings the family together so I’ll keep doing it as long as I can.”

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink