Racing WA

Inductee 2007: Fred R Kersley

2 June 2007

Fred Kersley has won more Perth Driver's Premierships than any other driver in the 97 year history of harness racing in Perth.

His 17 Driving Premierships is backed up by 14 Perth Trainer's Premierships making him Western Australia's most decorated horseman.

He drove the first of more than 1700 Perth winners in 1957 and in 1985 became the first Australian driver to drive 100 Metropolitan Winners in a season.

In 1988, Kersley finished in the top five drivers on both the Perth and Adelaide Premierships on his way to an Australian Record total of 136 Metropolitan winners. He drove at Gloucester Park on the Friday night and Adelaide on the Saturday night.

Kersley's tally includes 22 Group One winners although victory in an Inter Dominion final proved elusive despite winning 10 heats of the race.

He is one of only four Western Australians to win the Australian Drivers Title when he tied with Gavin Lang in 1986 and has been in the Top 10 Australian Drivers on 12 occasions. He has driven five winners at a Metropolitan meeting in Perth on four occasions and topped the 100 winners in a season mark on five occasions.

Kersley's achievements in harness racing were recognised nationally in 1993 when the Australian Harness Racing Council awarded him their Distinguished National Service Award. In 2002 he joined his Uncle Frank as an inductee into the Western Australian Institute of Sports Hall of Champions.