Pecker gets help from above

Try telling Neil ‘Pecker’ McCallum a little bit of ‘help from above’ doesn’t play a role in finding the harness racing winning post in tough times. 

The longtime freelance postilion partnered the Owen Martin trained Longtan Viper (Tinted Cloud) who was friendless in the betting,  sent out a $41 chance at Melton last night. 

Longtan Viper held the early lead from the pole however McCallum elected to take a sit behind  Majors Creek and await his chance along the sprint lane. 

And that’s exactly how the race panned out with Longtan Viper getting up to score by a head from Majors Creek in a mile rate of 1:57.9. 

McCallum is certain there was an element of divine intervention in the win of Longtan Viper who had been unplaced in all 11 starts prior to Melton. 

“Mum passed away two days earlier at the age of 93 and it was my first drive back for a week, so I reckon she was up there pushing me along,” McCallum said. 

“Mum was a regular at the meetings in area working in the tote and later on going with Dad (Ian) to the trots when he had horses in,” he said. 

McCallum said the three-year-old had more ability more than his form line suggested. 

“He can go a bit but it’s in his head and sometimes he can turn his toes up,” he said. 

“But he felt good at Melton, I got him rolling out of the gate and it kept him interested over the short course. 

I wasn’t too sure how he would handle the sprint lane levelling up next to the leader in the straight and seeing if he would go past him.” 

McCallum could be forgiven for getting a sense of dejavu as he crossed the line. 

“I remember driving a winner at Charlton only a couple of days after Dad passed away,” he said.  

The 59-year-old McCallum has driven 1577 winners and is best known for his association with the Joe Thompson trained pacer Imprimartar on whom he won the Group 1 1991 Fremantle Pacing Cup along with the NSW Pacers Derby. 

For complete race results, click here.

by John Dunne, for Harnesslink