By Duane Ranger
Pukekohe school teacher, Andrew Jamieson, has been appointed the manager of the ever-popular Auckland Trotting Club Syndicates.
Jamieson, a school teacher for 40 years, takes over from Rob Carr, who relocated to Cambridge this week. Carr had been at the helm of the ATC Syndicates since their inception 17 years ago.
Carr is now the marketing and promotions manager for BreckonFarms in Te Awamutu.
“My priority is to keep Syndicate members informed and having been a school teacher for most of my life I think I can string a sentence or two together.
“The last thing trainers need is for 50-or-so owners hounding them wanting to know all about their horses. I’ve trained on and off for 20 plus years and I know all the horsemen well. I’m excited and really looking forward to the job,” Jamieson said.
Jamieson, who has been teaching at Pukekohe Intermediate for the last 17 years, said the job was perfect for him.
“I’m 63 this year and harness racing has been my escape from school for most of my life. I still have a couple of horses in work and my broodmares are in foal to Sir Lincoln.
“I’m so passionate about the sport and with retirement looming I see this as an ideal transition into doing something I love. I was going to take last year off, but I did a lot of relieving for one teacher, who was unwell,” Jamieson said.
He said he likened the big syndicates to teaching 30-plus Year 7 (Form One).
“They are an enthusiastic bunch of people from varying lifestyles. I know how to relate to people and I’m sure they will be a bit easier at times than trying to get the message through to a classroom of 10 and 11-year-olds,” he said.
Jamieson will be eased into the job this year and the ATC Syndicate won’t be buying horses at next month’s Australasian Yearling Sales at Karaka.
He will oversee the 2014, 2016 and 2017 ATC Syndicates.
“Ideal Belle is the only one still racing from the 2012 Syndicate and I believe she will be sent to the broodmares paddock soon,” Jamieson said.
He said he was currently overseeing:
2014 ATC Syndicate: The Faithful (eight wins, Barry Purdon) and Bettors Pocket (five wins, Tony Herlihy (MNZM).
2016 ATC Syndicate: Miss Kitty (un-raced 3yo filly – Barry Purdon); Extra Blast (un-raced 3yo colt – Tony Herlihy); and Some Change (un-raced 3yo colt – Geoff Small).
2017 ATC Syndicate; Bet I Can (un-raced 2yo filly – Steven Reid); Cha Cha B (Un-raced 2yo colt – Bunty Hughes); Park Avenue (un-raced 2yo colt – John and Josh Dickie).
“My heart is really in this job and I’m fortunate that I know most of the people in harness racing by their first name. I see myself as the middle man between the trainers and the owners.
“I’m also keen to get as many new and past owners involved as I possibly can. I’m a social kind of person and am looking forward to new purchases at next year’s Sales,” Jamieson said.
Jamieson is usually up at 5.30am every morning to work his horses and then back again after school to tend to them.
Among the horses he has trained have been the five win Hitchcock gelding Teepee Town and the now Australian-based (retired Hilltop Hustler, who won two races here and then 10 more across the Tasman.
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