It’s the goal of every breeder and owner to have that first Group 1 winner, and for Lancaster horseman Kevin McCluskey it has taken 50 years of investment in the sport to reach those heights.
The freight transport owner has had a few handy horses including Splashdance and Dunbar Adios, but it wasn’t until the last stride victory of Pastor Dunbar in the Group 1 $75,000 NSW Trotters Derby at Menangle on Saturday night that he finally struck gold.
“It was a tremendous thrill,” McCluskey said. “I’m just sorry that I wasn’t there to witness the win.”
McCluskey bred Pastor Dunbar, one of the first commercial crop of the touted American import Pastor Stephen, out of the unraced Majestic Son mare Majestic Dunbar.
“I trained her but she went a bit sore and I had too many horses, so she got put aside,” he said.
“I just bred him for when I retired I could train him, but I’m still working.”
Majestic Dunbar is carrying a positive test to Pastor Stephen’s Llowalong Farms’ studmate King Of The North.
Pastor Dunbar, who has posted four wins and an unlucky second from five starts for $56,695 in stakes, is trained and driven by Byrneside horseman Damian Wilson.
“He’s the best horse we’ve had. He’s only on his second preparation,” Kevin said.
“His next start will be a $20,000 race at Melton in a fortnight and then he’ll have a break and be set for the Victoria Trotters Derby and Vicbred Super Series.”
The Pastor Dunbar story actually began when McCluskey and his late father Charlie purchased the Play Bill mare Dunbar Lass back in 1975.
She left four winners from four foals to race including Palabar Lass (by Paleface Adios), who, in turn, produced one winner from six live foals in Dunbar Adios, the winner of 13 races, and the lightly raced Dancewithadunbar (by Safely Kept), the grand-dam of Pastor Dunbar.
Pastor Dunbar became the fourth Victorian bred trotter to win the Derby in the last four years, joining Gatesy’s Gem (2025), Keayang Zahara (2024) and Rockinwithattitude (2023).
I Am Hellbound, the winner of the $25,000 Bulli Trotters Cup at Menangle, was bred and is raced by central Victorian identity Graham Old and his family.
Horsham horseman Aaron Dunn bred, owned, trained and drove a winning double at Charlton with the three-year-olds Scooter Lou and Hellava Deal.
Red Hot Rita, a broodmare owned by John and Christine Yeomans, was credited with her eighth individual winner when Hello Possums (by Art Major) prevailed at the Kilmore midweek meeting.
