TJ: The Midas Man
Australian History Biography Sports History Cultural Studies Horse Racing Animals & Pets True Stories
First-edition hardcover of TJ: The Midas Man – the only full-length biography of Tommy “T.J.” Smith, Australia’s most celebrated and controversial race-horse trainer. Published by Macmillan Australia in 1993, this 350-page volume is the go-to source for racing fans, Australian cultural historians and collectors of vintage sporting literature. The dust-jacketed 1st printing captures the golden era of Sydney racing when Smith’s stable produced champions such as Tulloch, Kingston Town and Red Anchor, and it remains the cornerstone reference cited in every subsequent story about the “Midas Man” who turned horses into winners and winners into legend.
What makes this copy especially appealing is its untouched 1990s vintage condition: sturdy boards, original unclipped dust jacket, and the soft patina of light page-edge foxing that confirms decades of careful shelf life. A neat gift inscription on the fly-leaf adds character without detracting from readability, and there are no dog-eared corners or ex-library markings—ideal for both reading and display. ISBN 9780732907693 is now long out of print, so secure, first-edition copies in hardcover have become increasingly scarce on the secondary market.
For collectors the book checks every box—Australian sporting history, equine culture, and a biography that doubles as a social history of post-war Sydney. For general readers Kevin Perkins delivers a fast-paced narrative rich with trackside anecdotes, colourful characters and the inside story of how a stable-boy from the bush became the most successful trainer in the nation. Whether you follow horse racing, love Australian true stories, or simply want a quality vintage hardcover that holds investment as well as entertainment value, TJ: The Midas Man is a trophy worth claiming.
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