James MacDonald and Summit

By Darren Clayton

Photo Courtesy: New Image Media

Jamie Durnberger-Smith lives and breathes harness racing.

A cliché perhaps, but it is the most accurate description of the breeder, owner, syndicator and slot holder.

One of the principal directors and co-founder of Summit Bloodstock, Durnberger-Smith has turned a passion into a successful business and introduced the excitement of harness racing ownership to hundreds of people since forming Summit.

A regular across the Australian and New Zealand racing landscape alongside the Aaron Bain Racing Bloodstock Group, a change in direction has seen some high-profile US investors jump in the bike on the Summit journey.

These include leading US trainer Ron Burke and Mark Weaver, one of the largest owners of standardbreds in America.

Summit Bloodstock experienced one of its most successful years in 2025, thanks largely to the two-year-old pacer Loucasso, winner of the second running of the Ladbrokes Protostar.

Likely to be crowned the Australian two-year-old colt and gelding of the year when the winners are announced later this month, the team behind the star colt will be back at The Creek on February 20 and 21 chasing more slot success.

It will be the second shot at the UDC for the Summit team, finishing sixth in 2025 when partnering with Yannick Gingras, aka The Green Hornet.

The Summit team will again look to North America for success and have teamed up with James MacDonald, a two-time World Driving Championship winner.

It will be the second trip ‘Down Under’ for MacDonald in four months, the UDC raid hot on the heels of his win in the World Drivers Championship held in New Zealand in early November where he beat fellow UDC hopeful Gary Hall Jnr.

Victory in New Zealand provided MacDonald with a second WDC title, following his 2017 success on home soil in Canada.

“When James won the world title, I spoke to Ron Burke and we decided to negotiate a deal, hoping that he can back it up and claim a pretty unique double,” Durnberger-Smith said.

“We had a deal with Yannick last year that if he finished first or second, we would bring him back, but as it turned out, things didn’t go our way and that paves the way for James to step in.

Canada’s leading driver was recently crowned the Keith Waples Driver of the Year, creating history as the first driver to win the title on five successive occasions.

In a career that has produced over 4,000 winners, MacDonald has won some of North America’s top races including an association with three-year-old sensation, Legendary Hanover which won the Cane Pace in 1.46.2.

It will be new territory for MacDonald as far as what horses he will partner through the series, with the UDC format of the slot holder selecting the horses via a ‘snake’ draft, putting the pressure back on Durnberger-Smith to choose wisely.

“James will be at the draft, but he is there to socialise and take in the day, so I will be doing all the form and making our selections,” he said.

“A few other syndicate members will be there on the day and I’m sure they will have some input, but ultimately, I will make the selections.

“Our draft strategy will be similar, but there will be some adjustments with race instructions because I think we micromanaged Yannick a little too much with ideas and tactics last year.”

Whether it is the UDC, the Nullarbor or the Protostar, the Summit/ABR team are always chasing, and have experienced, success in some of the biggest races across the country, including the inaugural Eureka won by Encipher.

With fond memories of that success, Durnberger-Smith is quick to point out that a win in the UDC would be one of his biggest achievements in the sport.

“If we can get over the line, it will be extremely close to equalling our win in the Eureka, a very close second,” he said.

“But nothing beats the atmosphere of last year, it was awesome.

“The pit lane was pumping, there was banter flying, it is one of the greatest experiences on a racetrack I have had.”

Victory will create another piece of history for MacDonald, a man accustomed to creating new records.