Davey Mac has chance to impress namesake

Dave McDonald
Dave McDonald
Davey Mac could provide his namesake with one of racing's more extraordinary moments at Invercargill on Saturday.

The Phil Williamson-trained trotting version of Davey Mac will line up for his first start with Dave McDonald - the real Davey Mac - scheduled to commentate the race.

That even has Williamson, New Zealand's most successful trainer of straight-out trotters, a little nervous as he hopes Davey Mac can impress his commentating namesake.

''We would love him to go well down there with Davey commentating his namesake.

''That is the most nervous thing for me, that he goes well for Davey.''

The trotter set harness racing trainspotters' tongues wagging with a stylish qualifying performance behind Zoey's Gift at Oamaru in November.

While Zoey's Gift went on to compete against New Zealand's best 3yr-old fillies, before being exported to Australia, Davey Mac was put aside after suffering a nasty leg injury in January.

The Sundon trotter is now on the comeback trail to finally make his race-day debut and hopefully emulate the success Williamson has had with so many of his sire's stock.

Whether that will be in Saturday's race will depend on the horse's manners in what could be a tricky event mixed with both maidens and previous race winners.

Regardless of Saturday's finish, Williamson is of the opinion Davey Mac's raw talent can take him through the trotting grades.

''He has got the ability of the good horse, but the ringcraft - not yet.''

''As far as the future of the horse, if his manners come in to line, he has got the ability to go through a few grades for sure.''

Williamson will also start Monty Python for the first time this season at Oamaru on Sunday in what he hopes could be the trotter's first step towards a start in the Dominion Handicap at Addington over New Zealand Cup week.

''We are aiming him towards running in the Dominion - that is his goal.

''Whether we achieve it we will see.

''Just being there, that is what we are trying to achieve.

''He is a good enough horse that he deserves his chance.''

Last season's group 3 race winner is rated ranked 18th for the Dominion, which has a field capacity of 15.

That means the trotter will need to win his way into the field, but whether he does that at Oamaru on Sunday will be down to how his first-up race pans out, Williamson said.

''It will come down to how the race is run. If he got the right run he could be right in it.''

Add a Comment