Chisholm clan having a ball with Make Way

For years Duncan Chisholm used to tell his wife he’d love to have a share in a pacer. And but for a chance meeting 18 months ago he’d still be dreaming about it.

But today Chisholm, his two brothers John and Dave and their mate Warwick “Whack” Orr, are living the dream, racing talented three-year-old Make Way.

And they, along with a bunch of other newbies, were there in the winners’ circle at Alexandra Park last Friday night celebrating their incredible luck after Make Way donkey licked his opposition in only his second run back from a spell.

Chisholm, who at 65 is still fit enough to mow lawns for a living, plays to a 10 handicap at his local Mangawhai golf course where he met Lincoln Farms’ boss John Street at a pro-am 18 months ago.

“He was up here with a pro who I ended up billeting and caddying for, and afterwards John said why don’t I get a few mates together and take a share in one of his horses.’’

Chisholm’s only previous contact with harness racing’s elite was when his daughter gifted him a dual sulky ride at Auckland for this 60th birthday and he ended up sitting beside top reinsman David Butcher.

Chisholm could never have imagined that Butcher would end up driving a winner for him in Make Way.

Chisholm missed seeing Make Way run a close fourth in June’s Harness Jewels at Cambridge, recovering after a sinus operation, but he says the entire experience has been awesome.

“We come down from Mangawhai Heads for the trots on a Friday and often end up staying the night as we have such a ball.

Make Way and David Butcher are in cruise mode. PHOTO: Race Images

“John and Lynne are so generous and welcoming and make it really special. It’s a huge amount of fun.’’

Chisholm says an old codger he plays golf with warned him that he’d be continually pouring money down the drain owning a horse and his wife was a bit weary about it at first too.

But when he discovered Lincoln Farms’ partnerships have a fix costs structure and was told they guaranteed him a winner, or his money back, he was in.

“We put in $2000 each to start with and pay only $15 a week. I wouldn’t have been able to afford it otherwise and couldn’t have got other people interested.’’

Make Way is the third horse Chisholm and his buddies have had a 10% share in. Their first winner Linc’s Tiger was sold to Perth after winning at Cambridge last August when they were put into another horse Linc’s Grace.

Chisholm says they briefly dubbed the filly Linc’s DisGrace but Lincoln Farms quickly got shot of the filly after she won a race last December and true to their word transferred the team into Make Way as a replacement.

Chisholm and his brothers are excited at the prospect of Make Way being set on a Sires’ Stakes path and are already angling at getting a little piece of his two-year-old half brother Man Of Action.

Make Way’s dam Grace Way has yet to produce a dud with full brother Three Ways the winner of 17 races and more than $200,000 in Australia, talented half brother Forgotten Highway a five race winner ranked 17th on the entry order for the New Zealand Trotting Cup and Shanway, the winner of two of only 12 starts.