Written by Jackson Frantz
Ben Brisbourne’s emergence as a trainer was duly acknowledged when he was recognised at the recent Victorian Racing Awards.
The Wangaratta-based horseman’s statement 2020/21 season, which featured 32 winners at a strike rate of 14.7 per cent, saw his name etched alongside past recipients Mitchell Freedman, Archie Alexander, Matt Cumani and Nick Ryan on the Colin Alderson Award honour roll.
“It is nice to be mentioned in the same breath as some of those up-and-coming trainers,” Brisbourne told TDN AusNZ. “I’m not going to lie, 12 months ago it (Colin Alderson Award) was one of the targets to be put up for such an award, and it was nice to be awarded for a nice season.”
Born and raised in the English West Midlands region of Shropshire, Brisbourne is the son of retired flat and national hunt trainer Mark Brisbourne.
“I’m not going to lie, 12 months ago it (Colin Alderson Award) was one of the targets." - Ben Brisbourne
Having been raised in a racing and training environment Brisbourne was always destined for a career in the industry, and only two days after his 17th birthday he would ride his first winner as a jockey.
After two years of working alongside his father while completing a Fishing and Water Management degree, he would join esteemed national hunt trainer Nicky Henderson in hope of pursuing a career as a jumps jockey.
However, he would instead take on an assistant trainers’ role with Henderson before his passion for flat racing led him to Lindsay Park in 2013.
Ben Brisbourne
“My dad was primarily a flat trainer and the sport covers a bigger spectrum on a worldwide stage compared to hunt. When I was at Nicky’s (Henderson) he won almost every big jump race there was and the international landscape of flat racing was a bigger attraction for me,” Brisbourne said.
He worked as a senior foreman for five years at Lindsay Park's Euroa base, a period where he would meet co-worker and now wife Heather, before taking out his trainer’s licence in 2018.
“I enjoyed working with the good horses at Lindsay Park. There were always nice young horses with good pedigrees coming through along with the likes of Redkirk Warrior and some other Group 1 horses,” he said.
Learning to be patient
Brisbourne’s solo career got off to a slow start, saddling up four and five winners during the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons respectively.
“I enjoyed working with large numbers of horses and they (Lindsay Park) were getting numerous winners every week. So, it was a bit of a reality check when I stepped away from that and wasn’t getting winners every week,” Brisbourne said.
Setting up shop on course at Wangaratta along with increased support from owners resulted in 2020/21 being Brisbourne’s best season to date.
"It was a bit of a reality check when I stepped away from that (Lindsay Park) and wasn’t getting winners every week." - Ben Brisbourne
Gorokan Express (Spirit Of Boom) a 27-start maiden who broke through in a $4000 picnic contest at Healesville in 2019 marked Brisbourne’s first city winner when upsetting his rivals in last October’s fourth heat of the Ladbrokes 55 Second Challenge at Moonee Valley.
Greater heights awaited Brisbourne when talented mare Fontein Diamond (Turffontein) took out March’s $250,000 Country Mile Series Final at Moonee Valley.
Fontein Diamond, winner of the Country Mile Series Final at Moonee Valley
“When I first got my licence, I remained at Lindsay Park and was slowly building my clientele and experimenting with various techniques, so when we went out on our own at Wangaratta last year, we were hopeful of a breakout season,” Brisbourne said.
“Winning that race with Fontein Diamond was a fairy tale really. Her owner sent her our way thinking she could win some easier races across the border, but she thrived in our environment and it was such a big thrill when she won.”
Here to stay
Brisbourne has no interest in returning to England or moving to large-scale regional training base, saying he is content being away from the ‘hustle-and-bustle’.
He said Australia’s syndication-centric ownership model combined with good prizemoney allows for smaller trainers to operate a profitable business.
“When I came to Australia, I didn’t have a great idea of what I would get out here, but it was pretty apparent early that if you worked hard you would get rewarded,” Brisbourne said.
“The Australian model is also a very viable business model, and it gives a young person with a good work ethic the chance to be successful by the way you can structure your business.”
He is also content with the size of his current operation, saying quality over quantity is vital to growing brand identity.
"The Australian model is also a very viable business model, and it gives a young person with a good work ethic the chance to be successful." - Ben Brisbourne
Fontein Diamond resumed on Sunday at Benalla, finishing eighth after winning a recent trial by 4l.
“She is at the top of her handicap mark, so it is important to find suitable races and not overtax her because when the circumstances permit, she will put her best foot forward and be competitive in the right races,” Brisbourne said.
A host of exciting two and 3-year-olds will complement Fontein Diamond in the coming months, including promising gelding Winston Smurfhill (NZ) (Mahisara), who debuted with a close-up fifth at the Benalla meeting.
“He’s due to step out again in the next few weeks, and he’s a really promising mile to staying galloper and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do,” Brisbourne said.
“He’s (Winston Smurfhill) just one of a few nice types and I believe that we’re a pretty versatile operation. We’ve trained winners over 900 metres and 2600 metres, but I do enjoy working with those staying type of horses as there’s plenty of options for them and nice prizemoney.”
