Few horses deliver fresh up performances as impressive as Tony Mac’s winning return at Winton yesterday.
The 3yr-old shrugged off the mid-race work he did sitting parked in race 3 when powering to victory for driver Kerryn Tomlinson.
Put aside after just four starts for trainer Brad Williamson over summer, the trotter looks set for a big campaign judging by his win.
"He has been going pretty well at the trials and we have been pretty happy with him," Williamson said.
"He has had three trials this time to prepare for today’s race.
"He qualified in behind the mobile only last week."
Tony Mac is a half-brother by Love You to Williamson’s stable star Cracker Hill, who competed with the best of his age group as a 2 and 3yr-old.
Cracker Hill is on the comeback trail after a knee issue halted his career.
The trotter was last at the races during the 2020 New Zealand Cup Carnival.
Williamson is in no rush to get the 5yr-old back to the races, preferring to give the trotter a long, slow build up.
"Everything is fine with him. We are just taking things really slow with him."
It is likely Tony Mac will get his shot at the late season features for 3yr-olds on the new harness racing calendar, later in the year.
"Potentially, he is probably not up to the best ones just yet, but we will definitely set him on that path in the summer.
"I think he is good enough to warrant having a start."
Tony Mac is the last horse raced by North Otago rugby and harness racing identity, the late Neville McNee, who died in February. NcNee’s estate still holds a share in the trotter’s ownership.
NcNee raced several good horses and is a past president of the Oamaru Trotting Club, though he is best known for his achievements with the North Otago rugby team.
