by Duane Ranger
Queensland’s elder stateman of Dicelands Raceway – Peter Lovely – has won the race named in his honour at the grand old 47-year-old track in Clontarf on Sunday (June 30).
The retired Brisbane school teacher, fittingly won the Peter Lovely 81st Birthday Pace with the best ever horse to race in Australia – 5-year-old, Just Run, who drew one. The black gelding led all the way in the 1,609m stand and easily won in good time as the $1.80 favourite.
Second was ‘Fur The’ and host Wendy Spencer, with roughie ‘Prado’ and Vicki Spencer filling the minors.
Lovely also drove Just Run to win the Anzac Mile at Dicelands’ Fitzgibbon track on April 13, 2021, when he was the $2.00 second favourite. The gifted gelding’s form-line now reads 1F031.
Lovely, who was born in Brisbane and educated at Balmoral High School (inaugural class of 1958) is a highly regarded North Brisbane actor and prominent member of Redcliffe Community’s Men’s Shed. He said he was glad he made the 11km journey to Dicelands Raceway from his Deception Bay home for the 118th and 119th races since the track’s inception in 1977.
“I loved the game. I also like real trots. They are very similar, but there is a lot of fate in this game. If you throw the right dice like I did then you can hang on to win. I like the one-dice only rule in the home straight.
“I always enjoy Dicelands and will be back for the next one in the summer. It was such a thrill to win the big race named in my honour,” Lovely said.
Meanwhile, Australia’s best reinsman (Lovely) could only manage seventh behind Full Steam Ahead (form FPP67) in the curtain raiser event – the Tim Palmblad 50th Birthday Pace.
Again, run from the 1609m stand, this time newcomers, Don’t Trip Over (9) and Mark Winter, nailed the winning trophy with a come from last victory to win by three lengths as the $5 ninth favourite. Double Up and Vicki Spencer ran second, with Gail Spencer and Wendy running third.
Winter, who drove Way Ahead to fifth in the Peter Lovely 81st Birthday Pace, started poorly in the first event, trailing the field by many metres before copping some luck and gradually overhauling the 11-strong field in the home straight.
“I really enjoyed the game,” said Winter , who is pictured above centre receiving his trophy from Tim Palmblad.
“I loved the day out and learnt quite a bit about trotting. It was a fun day. I have been to the trots before and this is very much like it. I thought I had no chance in the first race after breaking at the start. I’d love to come back again,” said Brisbane business entrepreneur, Winter, who moved to Australia from Christchurch in England in 1985.
For the record: Dicelands Raceway was named after the former Claudelands track in Hamilton (NZ) by Mr President, Robbie Duncan, and myself in 1977 when aged 12. Robbie went on to do well at school. I had more whiskers than my teachers when I left. Anyone wanting a drive at the Summer meeting, private message me. More the merrier. Like a night out at the trots we have never had one disappointment.
