Reconsider Me will not go into retirement as one of the big name trotters, but for South Australia’s Norman and Dunlop families, he will always hold a special place in their thoughts.
At Globe Derby Park on Saturday night, Reconsider Me followed a family trait of his connections heading into retirement a winner.
Despite starting at $32.60, the 12-year-old was brilliantly rated by driver Jock Dunlop to score a metre win from Tommy Kay ($3.20) with McWhipped ($12.60) two and a half metres away third in the PFD Food Services Trotters Handicap (2230m).
“That’s it,” said owner Rex Norman. “When you get old it is just hard to compete against the younger ones.
“I’m really happy he was able to win. My dad used to always have his horses retire a winner, even when he sold them because his theory was if buyers knew you were selling horses in form they would come back.”
It was Reconsider Me’s 10th career win from 113 starts earning just over $37,000 but there is much more to the gelding that his race record.
Norman’s wife Kay raced the gelding on lease with her grandchildren Brooke, Heather and Jordan Dunlop, the offspring of daughter Sandy and her husband Jock.
“The kids loved being involved and got a real kick when he was racing,” Kay said.
“But, to me, Reconsider Me’s best achievement involves Rex.
“Just after the turn of the century, Rex, was working at the abattoir and was involved in a very serious accident.
“While herding cattle, a bull lifted him off the ground and tossed him over a wall, landing on his back and it was feared he may never walk again.
“At the time Reconsider Me had come into the stable and the need to work him made Rex get out of bed and definitely helped him get active again.”
Dunlop was at his brilliant best rating Reconsider Me beautifully, but even for him, it might not have been.
While driving trackwork for trainer Greg Norman on Saturday morning, his cart collapsed causing him to hit the ground hard but apart from abrasions he escaped injury.
Dunlop’s front-running rating of the trotter made it virtually impossible for the backmarkers to get into race and allowed Reconsider Me to bow out a winner.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
