Victory in teal a highlight for Thackeray

Victorian horsewoman Mel Thackeray admits she’s something of a latecomer to the harness racing game – but the former hairdresser can’t ever imagine going back to her old trade.

Thackeray picked up one of the most meaningful wins of her driving career, taking out the Patrick Dwyer Tribute Team Teal Female Driver’s Cup at Boort with five-year-old gelding Major Suspect (Art Major) on Sunday (Mar 3).

“It’s always a thrill to win during the Team Teal campaign – but when I look back at that particular race now and what it meant to people, that made it a double thrill,” Thackeray said.

Mel and her husband Danny manage Aldebaran Park Stud, the successful breeding and racing operation of Duncan McPherson, who co-founded the Team Teal fundraiser after his wife Lyn died of ovarian cancer in 2010.

Female drivers wear Teal-colored driving pants for Team Teal throughout February and early March, with harness racing authorities making a donation for every winner they drive.  So far in 2024, 330 winners across Australia and New Zealand have raised $122,000 in support of ovarian cancer research.

As significant as the win by Major Suspect was, at a $34 chance, he certainly wasn’t a fancied chance in the race.

“That win was a bit of a shock to the system – we’ve been trying and trying with this fellow for so long to get another win but he’s just a bit quirky.  Sometimes he tries, and sometimes he doesn’t – it just depends on him!” Mel laughed.

“But we got out late and got home hard and that suits him. He doesn’t have a very long sprint.  And maybe the tighter tracks suit him too – perhaps he doesn’t think the race is as far as it is!”

Mel said although she had some involvement with harness racing when she was growing up in the Riverina in southern NSW, it was only after she met Danny that she became hands on in the sport.

“My pop (Gordon McRae) was a starter at Wagga Wagga, and I used to go with pop and nan (Lorna) to the trots,” she said.

“The trots thing skipped a generation because my dad was never involved, but my brother and I both used to ride when we were growing up. I went into showing, but I gave that up once I started work as a hairdresser.

“Once I met Danny I got back into harness racing.  I’ve been helping on the sidelines for 18 years, but I’ve got a lot more involved in the last six years or so.

“I absolutely love the driving side of it – I enjoy the training, but the driving is just a different factor and an added bonus.”

Mel said the couple was currently working eight racehorses as well as preparing 10 Aldebaran yearlings for the sales.

“Danny and I work pretty well together.  I think we’ll probably do this until we physically can’t do it anymore because the horses are something we’ve always just clicked with, it’s something we can do as a team – so why would we change anything?” she said.

“We have our good days and our bad days, but I definitely can’t see myself going back to hairdressing – I’d go up the wall!”

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink