Long-time Shepparton harness racing trainer Ross McKellar is enjoying kicking goals with a bunch of friends, including a well-known football legend of the area.
"We are all having a bit of fun with a horse that didn't cost a lot. She'd previously been racing with some success in Queensland," McKellar said.
The seven-member group owns bay mare Allnight Mlady (Sportswriter-Dance A Rainbow (Troublemaker) which scored a nice victory recently at Shepparton, when handled by Stephen Boyington.
Allnight Mlady surprisingly started at 5/1 despite putting the writing on the wall with placings at Echuca and her hometrack leading up to the victory.
"I'm hoping the horse will get a little stronger because she is just a pleasure to take to the races. She seems to perform best when we use her gate speed and she's up near the front," McKellar said.
"I decided to change her feed and that has worked wonders. She's keen and very healthy, you can see it in her coat."
McKellar is a part-owner of Allnight Mlady with a group including his wife Lynne; Commonwealth Bank workers Jenny Smith and Robyn Anderson; husband and wife Ray and Maree McKenna; and Des Campbell, arguably the best all-round sportsman to have graced the ovals of the Goulburn Valley.
McKellar has known Des Campbell since their football days back in the 1960s, when Campbell was known universally as "The Panther" by virtue of his agility.
"I was playing with Shepparton United, then known as City United in 1967 and Des was there playing forward in his first year of senior football, just a kid of 17," McKellar said.
"He displayed so much talent we all knew he was destined for bigger things. We won the GVFL flag that year."
Later Des was signed by Melbourne Football Club and made his debut in round five of 1970 against Collingwood at Waverley.
Official AFL records show Campbell played eight games that season before heading back home to United. He was named captain-coach of United '73 aged just 23.
Two years later he went back to Melbourne and played 40 games, kicked 12 goals, in three seasons before again returning home because he didn't like city life.
"I believe Melbourne made a big mistake by playing Des on a half back flank because he was a brilliant forward. He represented the Goulburn Valley League for the first time playing centre half forward when he was just 18," McKellar said.
On the coaching side, Campbell, took United and Tongala to two premierships each. He coached in 245 games over 12 seasons. Two sons in Brad and Blake also played AFL football.
Des Campbell was inducted into the GVFL Hall of Fame in 2015, and these days he is the postie at Tongala.
Des Campbell in action in his playing days
Campbell and McKellar have maintained their friendship throughout the years, and are enjoying the association through Allnight Mlady.
"I first started out in harness racing when I was 30 years old – and I'm now 74 so I have been playing around with them for a long time!" McKellar said.
"Most of the horses I've had to the track have managed to win races, but I don't mind persevering provided they show me something. I suppose if they don't do that, they don't go to the races.
"A horse called Outshine was a nice type who won five in a row at one stage for us, and Crockwell Jake probably won six or seven races."
McKellar won at his first race drive at Finley and followed up with "a few more".
"I later had a couple of prangs so my wife encouraged me to give the driving away," he said.
"I plan to keep training for a few years yet. I ride all of them under saddle on occasions because I think it settles them down and mixes up their routine. You can also relate to them a bit better — I would really miss that part if I gave it away."
Terry Gange
NewsAlert PR Mildura
P 0498 490 672
W www.newsalertpr.com.au