Mates hitch winning ride with Rod

Central Victorian horseman Rod Lakey‘s shift into full-time training has got off to a handy start – and he’s taking a bunch of first-time harness racing owners with him on the ride.

After an extended break, the former newspaper manager and media account manager made a successful comeback to freelance race driving in 2020 and decided late last year to also take out a trainer’s licence.

Lakey scored a win with his first starter as a trainer in November last year with Guptas Cullen.  From only eight starters this season, he’s notched up two wins, most recently with Jong Ang at Charlton on Monday.

“It was fantastic to get that win because all of the owners are first timers in harness racing.  It was a $10,000 race, but they also got their VicBred bonus, so it was a great result for them,” Lakey said.

“But it definitely wasn’t about the money for this group though.  It’s about the fun and sharing the experience as a group of friends,” he said.

“I spotted Jong Ang on Trading Ring and he seemed like a good buy. My partner Mel (Melanie May) is a part-owner and the other half-share I offered to a friend Andrew Miller who’d always been interested in punting, especially on gallopers.

“Within 24 hours he’d got together a group of his own mates, David Jeffrey, Andrew Creagan, Will Troedel and Toby Gray and they were all in! They set up a Facebook group, and the banter since has been unbelievable.

“Before the race they’d worked themselves up like kids waiting for Christmas and they’re on cloud nine now!  It’s a bit of a dream come true story for them, and they’re hooked, I think.  I might have to talk to them at some stage about how things really work…but they’re having an absolute ball!”

As a freelance driver Lakey recorded 10 winners from 113 starters last season, but said training was something he was keen to try.

“I’m still just training a couple, but I’m keen to expand.  I’m based at Junortoun, at Gary Donaldson’s stables, and it’s great not just having the facilities at Gary’s place, but also having him there to guide me along, because he’s had a lot of success,” Lakey said.

“I’m just training Jong and another pacer Simply Heavenly, but I’ll expand that as the opportunity arises,” he said.

“Training is a lot harder than driving in a sense.  Driving has its own pressures, but at the end of the day, you just turn up to the races and get the accolades when they win.  Training is a lot more financial pressure, more of a business and a lot more time consuming.”

Lakey said he would continue “travelling everywhere” for drives, but training was something he wanted to grow.

“I am starting from ground level, I know that, and I don’t have a profile, but I think we’ve got something to offer that is a bit different,” he said.

“Mel has a background in natural horsemanship and spent years in the thoroughbred industry as a track rider and stable foreman.  She has a day job with Coca Cola that she loves, but horses are her passion.

“Jong did come with some quirks in his personality and he is just a quirky horse and Mel has worked with him.  She’s kind and gentle and Jong has responded to that.  He’s come a long way.

“I also make it my business even when I’m driving, to be very quiet, and I think it does have an effect on the horses.

“We’re all about kindness and calmness, and for horses that are a bit anxious or a bit highly strung, it’s a good combination.”

by Terry Gange for Harnesslink