John Tapp Racing

James Heddo thought he was in need of a change of career direction when he resigned from the ATC Executive team in 2020. He found that. change in the hospitality industry, spending some 15 months as CEO of the Terrigal Bowling Club. He hadn’t factored in the withdrawal symptoms associated with leaving the racing industry after 33 years. Few were surprised when he was recently appointed as CEO of the Hawkesbury Race Club. We talk to James about time away from the racetrack. He talks of the rich history of racing in the Hawkesbury region, and the high profile Sydney trainers who are clamoring for stable accommodation.  James takes us back to the Doomben meeting he attended with his mother and siblings in 1978. He says the outing was the catalyst for his career in racing even though he was completely lost on the day. He looks back on the special day a decade later when he started his new job as a racing assistant with the Sydney Turf Club. Part of the job was to attend Rosehill trackwork every morning. Some of h