82-year-old lands the last

By Tim O’Connor (HRV)

Bob Kuchenmeister was the toast of the industry last Saturday night after landing a special victory with his mare Leanne Leeann at Tabcorp Park Melton.

The 82-year-old trainer-driver partnered his squaregaiter to a narrow win in the last race on the card, the Western Ford Trot – a second success at Victoria’s harness racing headquarters for the octogenarian.

Post race, Kuchenmeister said he felt pretty good and “kinda thought she would fight it out.

“She gets her nose in front and says that’s me, I’m staying here. I’m not the driver, she is.

On the corner coming into the home straight, the 82-year-old thought she started to buckle a bit and thought she was being a bit naughty.

“She had a few stutter strides and I thought it would be best to run second than break, so I just held her and she took off again after that,” Mr Kuchenmeister said in a post-race interview with Jason Bonnington.

Kuchenmeister holds a rare place in history, with Metropolitan driving wins at the state’s premier tracks of The Melbourne Showgrounds, Moonee Valley and Tabcorp Park at Melton.

“I don’t think there’s very many of us – I think we’re a very small number now and that’s just because of our age,” he said.

“37 I would have been when I won at The Showgrounds.”

And, he didn’t start his racing career until the age of 30.