By Duane Ranger (courtesy of Redcliffe Paceway)
Had it not been for the Redcliffe Peninsula-based McNee family the Redcliffe Harness Racing Club might not have existed.
Now some 70 years later, grandson, Mark McNee, has been voted to the helm of the Club following its AGM on Tuesday night (October 22). McNee, who was the sole nomination for the Presidency, was nominated by his predecessor, Bernie Ring.
McNee, who is 57, has served on the committee since 2017. He has been Vice President for the last four years, and replaced long-serving committee man Ring, who was President for 10 years and committee man for the last 18.
Ring remains on the six-strong committee with the only new face being Jenny Anderson, who trains adjacent to ‘The Triangle’ on Knight Street. The other trio comprise Vice President, Daryl Kerr; Treasurer Reg Vidler; and last year’s new committee member, Dan Costello.
Doug Spice didn’t stand for re-election, and both Martin Hanrahan and Brian Hewitt, were unsuccessful with their nominations.
McNee said he wanted to “give back” to his beloved club after Redcliffe trainer, Aileen Smith approached him to stand on the committee seven years ago.
“I was born and educated here and growing up in the town, I always loved harness racing and rugby league here, but never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be Club President. I wanted to give back what the club has given me, and I really enjoy the work,” the now Deception Bay-based horseman and lead bus driver for Australian Trade Colleges in Scarborough (last four years),” said.
“My grandparents helped build the track and my uncle built the running rail. My Aunty and Nan also run the cafeteria at the very first Redcliffe meeting in the mid-1950s, so it’s an honour to be both a horseman and now President for a club in a town that runs very close to our family’s heart,” added McNee whose wife, is the step-daughter of the late top-flight Deception Bay trainer, John Kann,” he added.
McNee paid a tribute to his predecessor.
“Bernie has done a wonderful job for the Club. Ten years is a big chunk of his life and although some of his decisions might not have gone down well with some he always put the progress of the club first. You can’t please everyone in this job, and Bernie can now look back proudly at what he has achieved.
“I would have been more than happy to carry on with the Vice Presidency under him, because what he was doing was good in tough times, but sadly the rules say he has to stand down after a decade. I want to carry on his good work,” McNee said.
He said he was proud of the new stabling enclosure, the high-class track, and the new lighting system. There are other things I would like to see like a new broadcast box, but once I get my teeth into the new role I’m sure there will be other improvements we can make,” McNee said.
“Mark Belford and Anthony Dobra (nicknamed ‘Sharkie’) do a tremendous job. I think we have got the best track in Queensland by a long way. The track is always immaculate no matter what the weather is the day, or week before the race-meeting. I can’t applaud them enough,” he added.
McNee, who up until four years ago was a farrier more than 30 years, has been a trainer since the 1984-85 season, and a driver a year before that. In fact, last season McNee surpassed $1 million in stake money. He’s now conditioned 227 winners (six this season) and saluted the judge 116 times for $410,956 in purses.
His latest starter was the Leonard Cain-driven Threeoeight (7), who finished fifth from gate seven in race six on his home-track last night (Wednesday).
Threeoeight is one of three horses that McNee currently trains. Three-year-old five-win pacer, Nautie Galvinator, and that gelding’s yearling Tall Dark Stranger half-sister, complete the line-up. The latter two are both out of the 2014 Rock N Roll Hanover five-win mare, Sheza Galvinator. All three are owned by McNee’s children.
“Now that I’m President, I’m not sure how much longer I will go on training and driving. Time is limited and I have my family to think about. Outside of family and harness racing, rugby league has always been my greatest love.
“I love the game, especially the Dolphins, and I’ve played for the Dolphins since Under-7s, but I stopped playing at 21. I’ve coached the Dolphin Juniors for the last few years. Between those lads, my family, the Redcliffe HRC committee work, my bus driving work, and my training, I’ve got quite a busy life,” McNee said.
McNee learnt the intricacies of harness racing from several of Redcliffe‘s top trainers as well as his late father-in-law, John; the unofficial ‘Redcliffe Hall-of-Famer, the late Ron McCall; Errol Holmes; Eldon Papworth; and Rodney Belford.
McNee said he clearly remembered his first winning drive.
“That was behind a horse named Le Shar Brae in 1983 at Maryborough (Queensland). Mick Grant owned him with Robert ‘Crash’ Cradock.”
Then when asked what his most memorable moment in the sport was, McNee replied:
“Taking Miss Galvinator to win the feature mares race at Harold Park (May 2004).”
McNee’s double-figure winners over the years (with stakes and wins) have been: Lifes Black – 20 wins & $109,731; Miss Galvinator – 15 wins & $94,268; La Safron – 22 wins & $70,927; King Galvinator – 13 wins & $58,784; Our Galvinator – 14 wins &45,238.
His colours are red, with the white M, and striped red and white sleeves.
