Don Rae gets "once in a lifetime opportunity" in the New Zealand Cup

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk

On Tuesday Don Rae will get to tick off a bucket list item he thought would never happen.

The 67-year-old from Nelson has Stage 4 cancer and his lifetime dream is to be an official owner of a horse in the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup and to see the horse race in person.

At 5.46pm that wish will come true.

"This is literally a once in a lifetime opportunity. I've never really considered that involvement with a New Zealand Cup starter was remotely realistic. It's just something I completely treasure, especially under all the circumstances."

It is all thanks to Winton's Trevor Proctor (pictured above) and Diane Dynes who will line up their classy five-year-old Tact McLeod in the great race.

They learned of Rae's situation and agreed to host Don for the day. He will be part of a sizeable entourage cheering on the son of Sweet Lou, who has won eight of 20 including three of his last five.

Rae's battle resonates with the wider Proctor/Dynes family because of their own loss. Three years ago their grandniece Charlotte McLeod lost her battle with cancer, she was just nine. Charlotte's mother Hayley McLeod is Dynes' niece, with Dynes' sister Ellayne Kelly being Charlotte's grandmother.

Tact McLeod was named after Charlotte.

"We are delighted to have Don with us for the day and we hope the experience will be a real lift for him at a difficult time," says Diane Dynes.

When the offer to join in with the Tact McLeod team came through, Rae was just coming through what had been an arduous 29 days in Nelson Hospital.

"The boost this has given me has to be experienced to be fully understood."

Rae cannot wait for the field to face up to the starter's tapes.

"I'm so grateful to Trevor, Diane and the rest of the family and I'm just blown away by their open heartedness and generosity."

The Cup is something very close to Rae.

Such is his knowledge and fascination with it that in 2016 he was on TV show Mastermind, and his specialist subject? The history of the New Zealand Trotting Cup.

"The first Cup I went to was with Globe Bay winning for owner Stan Wheatley and trainer Jack Carmichael in 1972. I was 15 and took the afternoon off school to attend, not that either my parents or my teachers were impressed by this mature decision making," Rae says with a smile.

"My favourite Cup of all time was Final Decision in 1975. He finished second (to Lunar Chance) and paid $4.60 for the place at 8/8 in the betting in the artistic hands of Robert F Mitchell."

"Final Decision broke at the start of the Cup and lost a conservative 80 yards but still finished a very brave second."

"Final Decision's owner-trainer was Derek Heckler, a railway shunter from Hamilton."

Over the years, Rae has researched pedigrees and written extensively on breeding and racing-related matters.

With the paperwork completed Rae now finds himself as an officially listed owner of a horse in the country's biggest race.

"It's a pinch yourself moment," he says.