James Winks is no stranger to a racetrack after spending twenty years saddling up as a Group 1 jockey.

Boasting a resume longer and more impressive than the Flemington straight, James hung up his jockey silks in 2020 and joined 10’s coverage of the 2020 Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Climbing into the saddle to commence his professional career at 16 years of age, his name quickly became synonymous with horse racing internationally when he recorded victories in Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mauritius and Singapore.

When a medical condition forced him into early retirement in September 2020, at the age of thirty-six, James made the heart-breaking decision to close the chapter on his impressive career with almost 1000 victories and five Group 1 wins.

James is now running his own mentoring and coaching program, JMW Management, supporting and guiding jockeys, ensuring positive progression, no matter what journey they are on. He currently has 12 clients across Victoria, NSW and QLD.

James and wife Laura live in Melbourne with their three children Cooper, Zayn and Annabella.

Follow James on Twitter @JamesWinks1 and Instagram @jmwmentoring