Melbourne barrister Mark McNamara’s love of horse racing has produced a tome of more than 400 pages that is not only an amazing and well-researched story of more than a century and a half of horse racing history in Warrnambool but is also a social history of our region’s people and their sporting passion. The ’Bool: The History of Racing in Warrnambool—from 1848 is a definitive history that contains approximately 110,000 words and almost 1,000 footnotes – an impressive effort from a person who does not consider himself a writer.
“I started collecting race books as a boy,” says Mark. “I stopped counting at about 3,500 books dating back to 1902. I always had this idea of writing a history of horse racing in Warrnambool, but it’s only been in the last four years that it really became a reality. I have been researching it on and off over 30 years… probably longer.”
“I’m not really sure where the love of horse racing came from. Mum and Dad weren’t really into it. My Dad’s brother and his family were, and my Aunty used to take me to some race meets. I find the magic of the May Races very easy to experience but hard to capture in words. To experience it you must simply attend any day of the carnival and on the third day leave the racecourse immediately after the race before the Grand Annual Steeplechase, climb the hill at the side of the course and watch the grand race. My first experience was watching it from the road with my parents and sisters. During the early 70s you were allowed to park along Alfred Road (now Moore Street) and watch the Grand Annual. I was soon mad about horse racing!”
I find the magic of the May Races very easy to experience but hard to capture in words.
When asked what was the hardest thing about writing the book Mark replies, “Deciding what to leave out! It took about a year to cut it down, but this was an important process as it allowed me to tighten up the detail. I got a lot of my information from newspapers online and those in the State Library of Victoria. Over 170 years there’s been a lot of great trainers come from this area.” The last chapter, ‘Young Guns’ talks about the new generation of trainers like Ciaron Maher and Simon Wilde, both Emmanuel College Alumni.
“I was really lucky at school,” says Mark, “I was in a really good year level. In Form One there were two classes, one of 47 students and one of 46. When we got to Year 12 there were only 32 of us. So we were a close-knit group by the end of it. Eight of these guys including myself went onto Melbourne Uni. I studied Law/Commerce straight out of school.”
This hobby of researching and writing is something Mark does outside of his career as a Barrister. Mark says, “I like appearing in court and arguing a case. Working as a commercial barrister a lot of cases get settled out of court, so you don’t get to do it as often as you might think. So I really enjoy it when I do.”
You may purchase Mark’s book from local book stores Collins Booksellers and Warrnambool Books or online at Slattery Media.
Mark has also offered to sell signed copies of his book if you contact him directly at: [email protected]
