James Herbertson doesn’t quite know how to look back on 2025.
Every statistic says it’s been another phenomenal year in the sulky for one of the great talents of world harness racing, but away from the track it’s been harrowing.
There’s not a day go by when Herbertson doesn’t miss his idol, mentor and mate Greg Sugars, who died in his sleep in April, aged just 40.
As the 25-year-old prepares to represent Victoria in Sunday’s Australian Drivers’ Championship in Hobart, a reflective Herbertson said: “It’s been a year of the most massive of low, but some highs as well.”
Despite having almost two months in the USA and Europe, in part on a working holiday, Herbertson will romp home in the Australian Drivers’ Premiership for a second successive year. Last year he won by 93 and this year he leads with 340 wins to Queensland’s Nathan Dawson on 259.
“Given the year I’ve had, I don’t think I could’ve done any more from my opportunities,” he said.
“To drive four winners overseas (three in the US and one in Sweden) while I was away meant a lot on a personal level for me.”
But his 2025 highlight was teaming up with Sugars’ widow, top Victorian trainer Jess Tubbs, to win the $NZ500,000 The Ascent in Christchurch with exciting three-year-old trotting filly Tracy The Jet.
“That was a big thing, an emotional thing, for everyone,” he said. “To go all the way to NZ and win a race like that Jess was pretty incredible.”
Having won the Australasian Young Drivers’ Championship Brisbane earlier this year, Herbertson can ice 2025 by adding a second open-aged Australian Drivers’ crown in Hobart.
Despite his age, this will be Herbertson’s third time representing Victoria in the series. He won it in 2022 and finished fourth to Gary Hall Jr last year.
“It’s always a big thrill and honour to represent your state,” he said.
Herbertson will fly the Victorian flag with Kate Gath, the most successful Group 1 female harness driver in Australian history.
Gath is one of three females in the 12-driver series in Hobart. The others are WA’s Deni Roberts and emerging NSW star Ashleigh Delosa.
Roberts is fresh from winning her second successive Group 1 WA Pacing Cup with mighty stayer Minstrel at Gloucester Park last week.
Delosa and Roberts return after finishing second and third respectively to Hall Jr in last year’s series in Adelaide.
Other drivers flying their state flags in Hobart are: Shannon Suvaljko (WA), Angus Garrard and Nathan Dawson (Qld), Will Rixon (NSW), Ryan Hryhorec and Wayne Hill (SA), along with locals Dylan Ford and Rohan Hillier.
The series runs across six races (races two to seven) on Sunday.
PHOTO: James Herbertson and Kate Gath – courtesy Tasracing
