Astute Victorian horseman John “Hookie” McLean was a leading light in harness racing in the 1980s and these days enjoys a quiet life in the country – but he hasn’t forgotten the art of landing a winner!
McLean, based at Arcadia, in the Goulburn Valley, is mainly breaking in youngsters, but produced the cleverly named two-year-old gelding Alive And Free (Lazarus NZ) for a win on debut at Shepparton last Tuesday (Sept 12).
The pacer, driven patiently by Leigh Sutton, sprouted wings to score impressively in the Jims Diggers Pace.
Alive And Free is out of Dancing with Daisy, one of 10 horses produced by Rye Hanover, a mare bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, US. Her best performer has been Blazin N Cullen (Christian Cullen) who won 27 races and $576,000.
“Alive And Free was bred and owned by Bill and Anne Anderson, of Lauriston Bloodstock, who had him advertised for sale for a few weeks before I raced him,” McLean said.
“They wanted about $9500 for him, but they didn’t get any takers—although a few wanted to lease the horse.
“I thought he was well priced because he was eligible for VicBred, VicBred Platinum, the NSW bonus and the Breeders Crown.
“The first time I trialled him he pulled too hard. Then a week later after I changed some of his gear, he went really good and finished second.”
Sharp-eyed trials watchers did nicely as Alive And Free was backed in from 16/1 to start an 8/1 chance in a field of just eight runners.
“He got sold the next day after he won,” McLean said.
“I think he’s now with a South Australian trainer and he’ll improve with more experience. He’d only been in work about eight weeks and was still a bit green.”
Lazarus was a champion on the racetrack being a 15-time Group 1 winner, establishing race records along the way in New Zealand (eight) and Australia (three). Sent to race in North America, he won the $325,000 Dan Patch as well as the $177,000 Hoosier Park Pacing Derby—both in a slick 1.48-4.
As a sire, he has produced 11 winners from just 15 starters, and only 40 foals. Sir Knight, in particular, looks to have ‘future star’ tagged all over him in recently winning the $100K Cobbitty Equine NSW Breeders Challenge (2yo Colts and Geldings) at Menangle.
The Shepparton victory with Alive And Free had echoes of McLean’s high-flying days in the 1980s and ‘90s when he was based at Toolern Vale near Melton.
McLean was a force in 1987-88 with 68 winners and the following season recorded 72 victories. He was probably best known through the deeds of magnificent pacer Riverlea Jack. Over a career spanning 92 starts, Riverlea Jack posted 41 wins—including the 1988 Kilmore and Cranbourne Cup and the 1989 Queensland Winter Cup.
Some of his other big wins were the Victoria 3yo Sires Stakes final and the Len Smith four and five-year-old championship in NSW. He also competed in both the 1989 and 1990 Inter Dominions, making the final on his first attempt.
McLean also enjoyed outstanding success with Bronski Beat (30 wins), Flying Looney (19 wins), Parading (13 wins), That’s Incredible (11 wins) Larrakeyah Lady and Riverlea Bay (each 10 wins) and Voight (four wins). Larrakeyah Lady also went on to be a great broodmare as the dam of Safe and Sound.
“When my friend in Vinnie Knight took his life in 1991, I believed working long hours had taken its toll there,” he said.
McLean cut back his numbers and a pacer named Baildon stood as his last winner of that era at Tweed Heads in 1992. Industry records show he had a starter in February, 2003, and his next in The Trainman (placed twice) in 2021, with Ubetcha winning at Bendigo in October of 2022.
“I got a job with the Government in child protection. I didn’t have horses for years, but I still used to follow the trots,” he said.
“I’m now retired and enjoy doing the youngsters. They’ve done a bit of work before I get them. I never have a headcheck on them. I’ve found that I treat them as if they are show horses and it’s worked.”
McLean is highly regarded as a breaker and gets horses from some of Victoria’s top breeders as well as racing stables.
“There’s been a few that I’ve really liked over the time, including Encipher, Sammy Karamea, Game Action and Rock Artist.”
by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink