Comeback Keith making up for lost time!

When astute New South Wales harness racing trainer Keith McDeed decided to give the sport away about 20 years ago, he didn’t think for one minute that he’d be back.

“I sold up everything and really believed that was it. I’d broken about 10 or 11 bones over the years and was feeling a few of the injuries. In addition, I had some personal issues, so I was out of sorts,” McDeed said.

“But I never lost interest and kept going to the trots. Besides I’d made a lot of friends and it’s always great to have a catch-up.”

McDeed, who lives at Maitland, 150 kilometres north of Sydney in the Hunter Valley region, said it was in 2002 when he “pulled the pin” and he stayed on the sidelines for the next 15 years.

“I got back into it when a couple of mates asked me to give them a hand. It just went from there and the next thing I had a few of my own. That would have been seven years ago, and it certainly rekindled my interest,” he said.

“I’ve been involved with youngsters and I’m thoroughly enjoying it.”

McDeed, who has trained 237 winners in his career, has taken seven two-year-olds to the races this season and five have broken their maiden status.

“I’ve found that working a couple together on the training track is of great benefit, whether it be just jogging or fastwork,” McDeed said.

“I can’t say that I do all the early work with them, but I take over when the breaker Darryl Standen is finished,” he said.

“Darryl is old school and as well as shoeing them, he does a bit of everything. He’s a very, very good horseman and breaks in gallopers as well. He spends a lot of time with them in the education part, teaching them the ropes and he’s not afraid to try things, change bits and that type of thing when necessary.

“I often wish that Darryl was around when I was younger. Two years ago, he broke in six here and all got to the races and then last year he started with eight, two got injured, and the other six all won.”

McDeed trains from the Goozdolphin Racing Complex at Singleton and from his team this season, Bettors Delight-sired filly Sensationalize is leading the way with wins at Bathurst and Newcastle along with three minor placings. Colonel Meyn (TinTin in America) was successful at Bathurst as was Wicked Susan (McWicked) who also has four placings; Miss Perignon (Captain Crunch) took out the Bathurst Gold Tiara Bronze Consolation, while Two Cracked Corn (Lazarus) was an impressive winner at Tamworth last Thursday (May 16).

“We actually made up the whole field in the opening two-year-old event for the season in NSW, which was at Newcastle back on February 16. Colonel Meyn was driven a treat to get the money by Leroy (Leigh Sutton), who is a very good driver. Then two weeks later we had five of the runners,” McDeed said.

“We’re now spelling a couple of them, while the others are back in after a bit of a breather,” he said.

Two Cracked Corn scored a runaway 16-metre win at Tamworth.  She is sired by former top performer Lazarus and is a half-sister to five times winning four-year-old Threebushelsofoats (Art Major).

“Two Cracked Corn is a lovely filly and both she and Threebushelsofoats were bred and are raced by the Kirkwoods who have produce stores at Singleton and Maitland, so that’s where the theme for their names come from.

“The next race for Two Cracked Corn will be at Menangle on Saturday week (June 1) as she’s now qualified for the Nev Brown Memorial of $30,000. Then they will all be aimed at the Blue Series.”

McDeed followed his father Charlie into the sport, recalling that he was driving fastwork when just a 10-year-old.

“Dad drove at the first night meeting held at Harold Park. He loved the sport and as soon as I turned 16, I got my driver’s licence,” he said.

“I remember many trips to Queensland because dad enjoyed racing up there with four or five and then he’d sell them all. He’d drive up there with five of us kids in the back. It was a three-day trip and we’d camp at Showgrounds along the way.

“When we got to the Gold Coast we’d stay at Nerang with Ned Coleman and Col Andrews and we were made to go to school. It was about a four kilometre walk and the teachers used to feel sorry for us.”

McDeed has trained 237 wins and 357 placings from 1610 starters, while as a driver he’s been successful 178 times.  Medowie Prince (What’s Next), who had 33 wins in his career, was a sensational pacer in the 1990s.  In McDeed’s care the pacer had 27 wins and 15 placings from 59 starts. Others to do a good job for him were No Equal (Andrel) (12 wins) and Jebs Melody (Lake Hills Jeb) (10).

“I was lucky enough to break the record for most wins in the Hunter Valley in 2000 with 52 and I’ve won a couple of premierships along the way,” he said.

“I still enjoy driving, but I wouldn’t do it if Sutton or Rob Morris were sitting in the stands. Besides I’m 68 years old and if I had a real bad fall, they’d have to scrape me up off the track!”

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink