With a racing background (an uncle - Peter Higgins, a former SP bookmaker and a racehorse trainer), John says that
"he always had a fascination for bookmaking."

"I love the environment and the characters," he said.

FAMILY: John has been married to Kathleen for 30 years and they have three daughters, Jane, Michelle and Toni.

INTERESTS: John is Secretary of the Dorset Golf Club at Croydon and he is a Victorian Golf League pennant player. He also plays competition tennis as a member of the Montrose Tennis Club.

THE VBA: Applying for the position of Executive Officer when it was advertised last year, John was thrilled to join the VBA. "I feel very fortunate to have been considered and to be now working in the position," he said.

"I work with a really good group of people who are dedicated to ensuring that bookmaking not only survives but advances," he continued.

"Bookmaking is a part of racing that we cannot afford not to encourage, support and develop - imagine a race meeting without the colour of bookmakers."

John is one of the driving forces behind this magazine - "it was one of the earlier initiatives I was involved with," he said, "and I think it has got a great future."

NELLA ZANNINO
VBA Secretary
BACKGROUND: Nella completed Year 12 at Geoghegan College in Broadmeadows and from there was amongst a group of girls interviewed for the position of the first VBA secretary.

She has now worked in that position for 23 years, the first ten on a full time basis and since starting a family, part time.

FAMILY: Nella has two daughters, Giuliana and Sabrina. The latter, who has enjoyed the benefits of the revolutionary cochlear ear transplant operation, has just started primary school.

INTERESTS: "I do a lot of walking," Nella said and she also enjoys sporting activities with her daughters.

THE VBA: Nella's first six months with the VBA were spent in offices in Fitzroy St, St Kilda before a move to Albert Road which was base for 21 years.

Nella moved with the VBA to Racing Victoria's headquarters in March 2001 and after two decades with them, she still enjoys her work - taking on the challenges of technological changes and meeting a variety of people.

JOHN BULL
VBA Committee Member
BOOKMAKING: John, who studied to be an Accountant - owning his own practice for seven years, has bookmaking in the blood – his father Alan also taking the stand.

Bookmaking part time whilst still an Accountant, John eventually sold his business to go full time - "the disease took over," he joked.

Working at Moonee Valley and provincial harness meetings, John also travels around the countryside for the gallopers.

Originally from New South Wales, John considers the Melbourne Cup Carnival – at which he has fielded the last two years – the highlight of his bookmaking career to date.

"It takes a lot of beating," he said. "I had never even been to Flemington before and it was just beyond belief."

John, whose favourite racetrack is Muswellbrook in the Hunter Valley, counts the Maitland Inter- City race meeting as his favourite day and as for racing's central characters he fondly recalls Luskin Star as his favourite galloper and Hondo Grattan his favourite pacer.

With plenty of respect for Vic Frost as the best driver he has seen ("he was a great front running driver"), John also has plenty of time for Allan Robinson as a jockey - following his career from the start. In the training ranks he holds Paul Perry in great esteem.

Considering "the friends I have made over the years," the best part of bookmaking and the travel the worst aspect, John is confident that bookmaking in Victoria has a healthy future.

"The reason I shifted from New South Wales," he said, "was because there is still a good will in Victoria, both from Racing Victoria and the Government, to keep people going to the races and to keep bookmaking alive."

John's love of the racing game has seen him venture into horse ownership... "We bought a yearling for $5000 in 1982," he recalled, "and he won a lot of races as a 2Y0." Sadly, after knocking back the then sizeable sum of $80,000 for the horse, he was then injured in a fall at Harold Park - never quite getting back to the level he had raced at previously.

Despite that set back, John still considers the debut victory of that horse (who was backed in from 12's to 3's) his "biggest thrill in racing."

THE VBA: John is Chairman of the VBA's Harness Racing Sub-Committee. He has been on the committee for two years.