Researching Maurice Holmes

Owing to his skill, Holmes was known as "the Maestro". As at 1998, he was the most successful reinsman in the history of trotting of New Zealand dating back to the 1860s. He drove 1666 winners and amassed $2,054,555 in stake money over 49 years.

His long career lasted from 1925 to 1974, and a career spanning 44 years at the top. On his last night at the Alexandra Park Raceway, he drove four winners from eight starters. As of 2014 Maurice Holmes still holds the record for the most Driving Premiership wins as he won his 18th title in his final year of driving in 1974. He also holds the record for the most wins in the group 1 New Zealand Trotting Derby with 11 outright victories and one dead heat. Holmes also became the first driver to win two Inter Dominion pacing grand finals winning with Pot Luck in 1938 and Vedette in 1951.

In the 1975 New Year Honours, Holmes was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to New Zealand trotting.

Holmes attended Felsted School, Essex.

During the Second World War he served in the Royal Army Service Corps from 1941 to 1945, achieving the rank of Major. After the war, he was called to the bar at Gray's Inn in 1948 where he practised until 1955.

In 1955, he became a director of Tillings Association Limited and then chairman in 1960, a post he held until 1965 when he became Chairman of the London Transport Board which controlled the London Underground and London's buses. He served as Chairman of the LTB until the end of 1969 when it was replaced by the Greater London Council-controlled London Transport Executive. He then acted as the administrator of the South-eastern Law Circuit until 1974.

Holmes was knighted in 1969.

Holmes joined the Board of Education in 1909, where he was to stay until 1945, except for the First World War, when he joined the Army and rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.

Holmes rose to become Director of Establishments in 1923–26, reaching the position of Deputy Secretary in 1931. In 1937, he replaced Sir Henry Pelham as the Permanent Secretary. During the Second World War, Holmes was given the task of developing the Green Book which served as the basis for the landmark Education Act 1944. He retired in 1945, to be replaced by Sir John Redcliffe-Maud.

After his retirement, Holmes served as the Chairman of the East African Salaries Commission in 1947, the Colonial Office inquiry into Civil Services of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, the 1948 Caribbean Public Services Unification Commission, and the Lord Chancellor's Committee on Office of Public Trustee in 1954.

Holmes first came to the public eye in 2009. At this time he was playing for the Kent Second XI, but during the 2009 World Twenty20 he bowled to the New Zealand team during their practice sessions. His bowling impressed then New Zealand coach Andy Moles and then captain Daniel Vettori, who likened his bowling to that of Muttiah Muralitharan. On the back of this he was flown out to Sri Lanka for New Zealands 2009 tour to bowl at the New Zealand players, as well as working with New Zealands then spin consultant, Saqlain Mushtaq.

However, it wouldn't be until 2011 while studying for his degree at Loughborough University, that he made his first-class debut for Loughborough MCCU, taking 3-46 on debut against Northamptonshire and making a further appearance against Leicestershire. Signed by Warwickshire for the 2011 season, he made his first-class debut for the county against Durham MCCU, in the process taking a wicket with his first ball. Holmes made a further first-class appearance for the county against Lancashire in the County Championship. His List A debut came against Leicestershire in the Clydesdale Bank 40 taking 2-47 from 8 overs in a narrow victory by 9 runs. Holmes made two further List A appearances for Warwickshire in 2011, against Scotland and Northamptonshire, both in the Clydesdale Bank 40.

However, in June 2011 he was twice reported by umpires for a suspected illegal bowling action, with particular concern surrounding his doosra delivery. On 8 July, the England and Wales Cricket Board suspended Holmes from bowling following an independent analysis of his bowling action, deeming it to be illegal. He was released by Warwickshire at the end of the 2011 season. Following a period of remedial work on his bowling action, it was deemed that his standard delivery was legal, but his doosra was not. Following these findings, Holmes' suspension was lifted, but he was warned against bowling his doosra in competitive county cricket.

He took a year out of his studies at Loughborough University in 2012 to concentrate on resurrecting his county career, travelling to the Global Cricket School in Pune, India, to work on his bowling action.

Soon after, however, Holmes adjourned his time in cricket to pursue a career as a practising barrister. He was called to the Bar by Lincoln's Inn in 2015.