Lotakevi has a national rating of 32, but to John “Macca” McGillivray he is a 120-rater.
The 10-year-old races tonight at Kilmore where he chases win nine at start 150, but victory isn’t what it’s all about for “Macca” and his mate “Kevi”.
McGillivray joined SEN Track’s TrotsLife this week and explained the extraordinary chain of events that took place to bring Lotakevi to him and his family.
On a jobsite in Sunshine in the early 90s he met Croydon trotting trainer Terry Meredith and his first horse was leased from Alf Parker. Lotaliberty won three races and happens to be Lotakevi’s grandmother.
“Alf (Parker) rang me and said he had to go in to have a triple bypass and he was going to breed from her. He said ‘would you like to breed from her?’,” McGillivray told TrotsLife host Toby McKinnon.
“Macca” took Parker up on that offer and sent the mare to stallion Iraklis. That progeny was a filly named Lotasilkari, who despite only having two wins from 107 starts, made the 4YO Vicbred final.
“I mean we could never win the final, but she only got beaten 29 metres and was competitive and it was one of the biggest thrills of my life,” he said.
While campaigning Lotaliberty at Ballarat, McGillivray’s partner Rhonda received a brochure for stallion Stonebridge Regal and years later gave it to “Macca” for his 60th birthday. The resulting progeny was Lotakevi, who on the day he was born showed his toughness with life-saving surgery.
“Rhonda’s father (Kevin), who I never met, was a stone mason and he was a pretty tough bloke. And I thought well he is going to need a tough name, so I called him Kevi,” McGillivray said.
LISTEN TO THE FULL CHAT BETWEEN MCKINNON AND MCGILLIVRAY BELOW:
