James Wilson (trainer)


James "Old Jim" Wilson was a racehorse trainer in Victoria, Australia, founder of the historic St Albans Stud in Geelong, and trainer of the 1873 Melbourne Cup winner Don Juan and 1876 winner Briseis.
His older son James Wilson, Jr. captained the Geelong Football Club and as "Young Jim Wilson" trained 1899 Cup winner Merriwee, and younger son William Wilson was the jockey who rode Don Juan to victory in the 1873 Cup.

History

Wilson was born in Yorkshire and emigrated to Victoria in 1845, and was for a while engaged at Deep Creek, looking after a horse named Paul Jones. He moved to the Hamilton district, where he was involved in horseracing, and won the Great Western Steeplechase in 1859 and 1860.
He brought Musidora and Ebor to Melbourne in 1862, and ran them in the 1862 Melbourne Cup, Musidora coming second to Archer. She also ran in the Melbourne Cups of 1864, 1865 and 1866, and was the dam of Briseis. Ebor was owned by Captain Lyons who raced as "J. C. James"; Wilson took her to Adelaide, where she won the 1865 Adelaide Cup. He trained Lapdog for J. Gilbert which ran a close second to Nimblefoot in the 1870 Melbourne Cup. He had another close second the following year with Romula for Joe "Leviathan" "King of the Ring" Thompson.
Wilson and Adam Lindsay Gordon were great friends, but in the saddle serious rivals in cross-country races in the Western Districts of Victoria. When Gordon gave up racing he gave his last saddle to Wilson's son James Wilson, Jr.
In 1872 Wilson founded St. Albans stud at Breakwater, a suburb of Geelong and the homestead designed by James T. Conlan in the neighbouring suburb of Whittington was completed the following year. Within a few years He had made it the best known stable in Australia.
Notable races won by horses trained by Wilson at St. Albans included:
Tom Hales rode many of his winners, but the rider for the 1876 Melbourne Cup was Peter St. Albans, whose real name was Bowden.
One of the greatest patrons of his and his son's training stables was Herbert Power, for whom the Herbert Power Stakes was named.
The property and stables were in March 1886 sold to John Crozier, jun. of South Australia for a reputed £37,000.
Wilson then rented "Kingston estate" at Queenscliff, where he trained a small number of horses, including Nitre and Reaper. This stables would become the nucleus of his son James Wilson, Jr.'s stables "Bonny Vale".
After his horse Blinker failed in the Victoria Derby of October 1904 Wilson and his jockey Conquest were called before the stewards and cautioned. Blinker came a good third in the Melbourne Cup a few days later, adding credence to the stewards' suspicions. Wilson then retired from racing.
William Wilson was a jockey; his most notable ride was on Don Juan, which he rode to victory in the 1873 Melbourne Cup.
James Wilson, Jr. also rode as a jockey, beginning on New Year's Day 1869, when, weighing and dubbed "Young Jim" Wilson, he competed at Flemington. He soon became well known, but was not of a slim build like his brother and turned to Australian rules football, playing for Geelong, which he captained in 1878 and 1879. Geelong was one of the six clubs which in 1897 broke away from in the Victorian Football Association to found the more professional Victorian Football League. He was also a good cricketer, champion boxer and billiard player.
After seeing the successes of his sons, James Wilson purchased "Frankfurt" estate for them as a racetrack. He then helped James Wilson Jr. purchase the adjoining "Kingston estate" and "Bonny Vale" at Queenscliff and achieved considerable success as a trainer of thoroughbred horses. Notable wins included:
For Herbert Power:
His own horses included:
Other good horses were The Quiver, Practical, and Brimming. Bobadil was a successful sire for the stud.
A long-time jockey for both Wilsons was Chris Moore, who was disqualified for a year after failing to start on Quiver at the Oaks Stakes. Other jockeys for the Bonny Vale stables were James E. Pike, Dempsey, W. Duncan, R. Lewis, A Wilson and A. Fullarton.
Strong of build and will like his father, James Wilson, Jr. was reticent, shunned publicity, and formed few friendships. He was not one to start a fight, but if provoked would not step back, and could use his fists to good effect. Like his father he could be abrupt and overbearing but on the right occasion could be relaxed and entertaining.
He was declared insolvent in 1934 as a result of the Great Depression and "Bonny Vale" was sold. He died in a private hospital after some months of poor health. His remains were buried in a private ceremony at the Point Lonsdale Cemetery.

Family

James Wilson married Esther Amelia. Among their children were: