Jack Jenkins fell in love with racing as a child, when he accompanied his nan to the track. “My nan is super into horse racing and she took me down to Moonee Valley when I was a kid and got me involved. Since then it’s just gone from one step to another and I get more and more in love with it every season.”
His nickname, Phar Jack, stems from his dedication to his own sport of mixed martial arts but also his love for the sport of racing. At around 15, when Jenkins had been training at a gym for a few hours with no intention of stopping, his coach remarked, “You’re like Phar Lap, you just don’t stop.” Jack adopted the nickname ‘Phar Jack’ from then on, deciding it was the perfect blend of his two passions.
With a busy and rigorous training schedule, racing is Jenkins’ outlet, and he even priortitises an early gym session on a Saturday morning in order to make it home in time to watch the first race, whether it’s at Flemington or Randwick.
Although preparing for a fight in April or May, Jenkins will be trackside on Black Caviar Lightning Race Day, sharing his passion for and experience with racing at the Ross Stevenson’s Love Letter to Racing event.
“Ross gave me a rundown, and I’m looking forward to it. It’s for a good cause, and all my friends are heading along to the races anyway, so I’m sure they’ll see if they can find a spot to stand up the back and maybe heckle me while I’m speaking.”
Tickets are still available to Ross Stevenson’s Love Letter to Racing at www.vrc.com.au
