Harness racing trainer returning after track work injury

Heywood harness racing trainer Bec East didn't know what was ahead of her two months ago.

East had finished working a young horse at her property just outside Heywood when an accident occurred.

She was taking the filly off the track as partner Kevin Brough drove on the track with a mechanical jogger in toe.

The filly got a fright as East passed the car.

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East was only going at walking pace but her cart was on a slight angle because she was passing over a dirt mound.

"Unfortunately, I fell a bit heavily on my left side," she said.

"I fractured my rib and my rib lacerated my spleen."

East didn't think too much of it at the time and ran some errands.

But the pain she had wasn't getting any better and an ambulance was called.

She'd end up being helicoptered from Portland to Melbourne where she remained in hospital for four days.

It wasn't long before her spleen started bleeding when she was back in Heywood.

Again she was helicoptered to Melbourne where they "embolised my spleen".

She said she also got hospital pneumonia during the stay.

East thought she was out of the woods after that.

"We thought everything was going well," she said.

"I'd been home for two weeks after that when I got bad pains on my left-side again."

The long-time trainer ended up spending nine days in hospital in Portland where her pneumonia flared up.

After getting through that stint she got an ambulance again for similar pains and was taken to hospital in Warrnambool.

East said she had three litres of fluid drained from her body.

While "still very limited" she has been able to return her focus to training this week.

She's ready to return to Terang Harness Racing Club for her first meet on Wednesday night after a tough couple of months.

"Everything seems to be back on track now," she said.

"I've got good staff and my partner has been holding down the fort while I've been out of action."

East, who has 14 horses in work, has five runners in Wednesday night's fields.

She feels pacer Pebble Sands, driven by Xavier O'Connor in the 1680-metre race two, will be among her best hopes.

"He trialed quite well at Terang and we're happy with his work since then," East said.

She believes pacer Julius Shadow, driven by Michael Bellman in the 1680m race five, is also a chance.

"If he can get to the front, I don't think he'll be far away," she said.

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