Episode 460: Ben Brisbourne

In order to find the right races for his horses, Ben Brisbourne makes full use of his ideal Wangaratta base to campaign in two states. He frequently has runners in rural Victoria but often appears in the NSW Riverina region. Great to catch up with a young horseman from a Shropshire racing family in the UK, who arrived in Melbourne unheralded and unsung a decade ago. He looks back on his reasons for trying the Aussie scene. Ben says he had a few contacts in Australia before making such a bold move. He looks back on track work duties for a handful of Melbourne trainers. The expatriate Englishman talks of his rewarding five years with the Lindsay Park operation at Euroa. Ben takes us back to his early life at Shrewsbury in Shropshire and the influence of his father Mark. He talks of Mark’s achievement in the riding and training ranks.  He identifies two tracks where his father enjoyed great success, and talks of his achievements with inexpensive horses. Ben says Mark was forced to walk away from training for a while, but is back in the game as foreman for a high profile trainer. Brisbourne looks back on a college degree which he attained simply to appease his parents. The Wangaratta trainer looks back on valuable time spent with a legendary UK jumps trainer. Ben looks back on his brief career as an amateur jockey.  He fondly recalls his first meeting with a vet nurse at Lindsay Park who was destined to become his partner and the mother of his twin sons. Ben outlines Heather’s short career as a jockey and the painful back injury that brought her riding aspirations to a close. He talks of their Wangaratta farm, and the twin boys who keep them busy from dawn to dusk. He acknowledges Heather’s role in the running of the business. The trainer looks at the Wangaratta training facilities and its ideal location. Ben won’t forget the trip to NSW which brought a memorable win in the famous Snake Gully Cup. He goes back to the magical occasion of his very first training win with Shoplifter at Albury, and the equally exciting experience of winning his first city win. Ben acknowledges the special horses who’ve contributed to his rise in the training ranks. He talks of the talented apprentices who’ve been part of his journey. The thirty five year old revisits the thrill of an unexpected trainer’s award in 2021. Ben discusses his immediate plans, and looks to the future. Ben Brisbourne continues to make his presence felt in the horse training ranks. He doesn’t have a single regret about leaving his native England a decade ago.