HE has driven in North America but now Menangle Park horseman Darren McCall has his sights set on Europe.
Next week McCall will jet over to Europe with his wife Karina Johnansen who is originally from Denmark.
And even though they will both be there for a holiday for a month, McCall is hoping to arrange a drive while he is in Denmark.
“Victor Olsen, who works for David Aiken, is Danish and his father is one of the leading trotting trainers over there,” McCall said.
“He has arranged a drive for me while I’m visiting.
“It will be great to say that I’ve driven here (Australia), America, Canada and also Europe.”
McCall spent over a decade in North America, domiciled in New Jersey for four years and Canada for the a further eight years.
“I went to the America and worked for Ross Croghan and I didn’t plan to go for long,” McCall said.
“I was just a kid from Australia mixing it with some of the most well-known trainers and drivers in the world and I didn’t think I would do too well.
“We ended up staying in North America for 12 years and ended up earning $12million in prizemoney by the time we left.”
McCall, who was born in Windsor in New South Wales but calls himself a Queenslander, has been back in Australia since 2011.
And of one the original horses he had in his team was Bettor Bet Black, which will be sporting McCall’s yellow and black silks at Tabcorp Park Menangle on Saturday night.
It will be Bettor Bet Black’s last start for the season.
“He sustained a minor injury last year and was in work for quite a while before he started racing, so has been up since October last year,” McCall said.
“He’s done a great job for us . . . he has won 17 races at Menangle!
“We actually bought the horse off the original owners a few weeks ago.
“He will be turned out along with most of the team out while we are away.
“Leigh Sutton, who works us, will look after the few horses we leave in work.”
McCall is having one of his best seasons to date in the Southern Hemisphere having trained 27 winners for the term so far with total stakes earnings of more than $250,000.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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