There comes a point in time when all you can do is throw your arms in the air and concede. Mel Felton had just about reached that point … just about, but not quite.
Mel had entered her greyhound My Hacienda in the heats of the Wauchope to Grafton Dual Meeting Cup. The heats were in Wauchope the final at Grafton a week later, and although her greyhound had never been to either track, Mel was confident for the heat having drawn the coveted box 1.
As she had to drop a another dog at Karuah, two hours past Wauchope, and wanted a relaxed trip, Mel and her friend Kelly O’Neill left Warral near Tamworth gave themselves six hours for what is usually a 3-4 hour trip over the mountain.
But as they reached Mount Seaview on the Oxley Highway, they came to sudden halt. Tragically there had been a fatality, and Mel was informed that they would be stuck right there for at least six hours, and they should consider turning back.
She decided instead to hire a cabin at Mount Seaview and allow the dogs to rest in comfort before they would eventually be on the road and able to deliver the other dog. She had however virtually given up on racing .... virtually but not quite.
“About an hour later, the owner of property came over and said we could probably get through but we’ll have to go through paddocks with cows and creeks. We were in an old ford station wagon and I said to Kelly what do you reckon? She said you’re a farm girl, you can drive, you know you can.
“So half an hour through paddocks, dodging Angus cows and loads of cow s***, we came out on the other side of the accident. From there, I’ll be honest I wasn’t doing the speed limit, but we got there with about 20 minutes to spare before kenneling closed.”
While she had never been to Wauchope, Mel gave My Hacienda a trial at Tamworth and she clocked near record figures.
“She started a very short price off the red rug, and I was confident. I thought she’d win it from the red,” Mel said. “But she was beaten a nose. The lady at the gate said to us on the way out: “Gee you’ve had a bastard of a day.”
“We went and dropped the other dog off, and didn’t get home until about 4am, so a 20 hour round trip.
“But she had made the Grafton final so I thought I’d see what she draws, you never know. But she came up with the six for what was going to be her first look at the track and she’s just 23 kgs, and she was drawn alongside a 37 kgs dog. I thought she is going to get smashed.
“I spoke to my partner Michael about it and he said just go for it, you went through hell to qualify. It wasn’t the Golden Easter Egg, but it was important to me, and she’s the only dog I have in work at the moment.”
Mel and Kelly went to Grafton and this time, the trip went smoothly and so did the race last Sunday, with My Hacienda leading throughout to win the Wauchope to Grafton Dual Meeting Cup.
“As I said it wasn’t the Golden Easter Egg, but as far as wins go, the Grafton one for me was right up there because - and I won’t name names - but I did have a trainer at Wauchope say you might as well scratch from Grafton because she won’t win the final,” Mel said.
Lesson number one, be it driving through paddocks full of cows, or racing at Grafton – never underestimate Mel Felton.
