Allen Browell can't be hands on with his horses anymore, but his physical limitations haven't dampened his love for the racing game.
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Complications with a knee replacement 12 months ago have slowed the 73-year-old Bendigo trainer down.
He can no longer saddle up his horses, but he's still at the track every morning at 5am to oversee his son Darren and wife Val as they work the team.
“I can’t do any physical work because I can’t put any weight on my leg… there’s no knee there anymore,’’ Browell said.
“It’s all observational for me now. It’s frustrating, but that’s the way it is. Darren and Val do a fantastic job and they know what they’re doing.
“Racing still means as much as to me now as it ever has. Whether it’s a maiden at Echuca or a win in Melbourne, every winner is a big thrill.”
Browell was back in the winners' circle at Moonee Valley last Friday night when his mare Our Sevira gave bookmakers an early Christmas present.
The 30-1 outsider gave Browell and her loyal group of Bendigo owners a huge thrill when she won the mares benchmark 70 handicap over 1200m.
It was Browell’s first city winner since smart mare Hai Lil won back-to-back races at Moonee Valley and Flemington in June, 2013.
"I was always going to get another city winner,'' Browell said with a chuckle.
"I've been training city winners for 50 years and I was just waiting for the right horse to come around.
"It was pretty special for everyone involved.
"The owners are a great group of people and for most of them it's their first horse."
Our Sevira appeared to be struggling for form in three runs this campaign, but Browell never lost faith.
“If you look at her run prior to Moonee Valley at Bendigo she was wide all the way and finished alongside Evil Lil who went on to win at Pakenham on Saturday.
“The Bendigo race was a benchmark 78 and she dropped back to a (benchmark) 70 at the Valley. She had a clear run and she finished off pretty well.”
Browell, who plans to run Our Sevira at Caulfield on Boxing Day.
He’s also confident he can have success this summer with sprinter Star Hills, who had no luck from a wide draw at Moonee Valley when resuming from a spell.
Star Hills is the son of Browell’s multiple city-winning mare Two Hills.
