TJ The Midas Man
Australian History Memoir Cultural History Biography Horse Racing Animals & Pets Sports
First-edition hardcover of Kevin Perkins’ classic biography TJ: The Midas Man (1993, Macmillan Australia) – the only comprehensive portrait of Tommy “TJ” Smith, the turf wizard who turned Sydney racing into a golden empire. 350 pages of first-hand interviews and track-side detail chart the rise of the legendary trainer from rural New South Wales to 33 consecutive Sydney Trainers’ Premierships and two Melbourne Cups, revealing the tactics, superstitions and fierce loyalty behind champions such as Tulloch, Kingston Town and Red Anchor. A must-have for racing historians and collectors of Australian sporting literature, this vintage copy carries all the period atmosphere of the 1950-80s racing scene.
What makes this copy desirable is its untouched 1993 first-issue dust jacket and the provenance of a neat gift inscription inside – no book-plate, no shelf abuse, just light page-edge foxing typical of Australian papers of the era. Horse enthusiasts, turf memorabilia collectors and readers who loved Les Carlyon’s True Grit or Adam Crettenden’s Winx biographies will recognise the same storytelling magic as Perkins follows the “Midas touch” that turned humble thoroughbreds into champions and made TJ a household name across Australia.
Beyond the track, the book is a vivid social history: post-war migrant camps, the rise of Sydney’s eastern suburbs, the politics of race-club committees and the punters who bankrolled it all. Perkins balances technical racing analysis with colourful portraits of jockeys, owners and the horses themselves, making the title equally appealing to Young Adults discovering Australia’s sporting heritage and to older readers who remember TJ’s televised winners’ circle. Keywords: Australian horse racing biography, Tommy Smith trainer, first edition racing book, 1993 Australian sporting history, Kingston Town story, Sydney racetrack memoir.
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