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Being out of a dam called Poetic, the aptly-named galloper Mackellar carries a moniker alluding to one of Australia’s great female poets, Dorothy Mackellar.

One of her most famous odes “My Country” could ring true for the Goulburn-trained galloper when the Danny Williams coached mare steps out on her home track this Sunday.

Mackellar came off a long break first-up at Muswellbrook on Championships Wildcard day recording a fast-finishing second for Williams and her owners (a nice stable bonus with her stablemate Don’t’ Give A Damn winning the Wildcard race). Williams believes just getting Mackellar back to the races was a win in itself.

“She had a long time away from the races and was off the scene due to a wind problem. She ended up having two operations, the second time around it took a bit longer to recover,” Williams said.

Despite those trials and tribulations, her strong showing first-up wasn’t a complete surprise to the stable: “I wouldn’t have sent her to Muswellbrook if I had thought she would not perform. I reassured the owners that the horse appeared ready to run a nice race, I was expecting that sort of effort.”

Mackellar gets back to her home turf on Sunday with Williams of the opinion that the mare in good order after being given three weeks between runs: “We have given her a bit of space between Muswellbrook and Sunday and I would expect she will be a little bit better.”

The stable is also hoping the weather forecast is spot on for the rest of the week, with a good track her preferred surface after some mixed results on soft going to date: “She is not so good on the wet track. I expect the track to be to her liking though.”

Along with the home track opportunity, the Williams camp is also pleased to find a fillies and mares race to boot.

“Yes definitely, I don’t think we have enough of them around in the country. It’s a breath of fresh air going forward. I’d like to see a few more fillies and mares races over a mile or further.”

Nick Heywood who rode a winning double at the tablelands track last Saturday has six rides for the Danny Williams stable on Sunday with Mackellar rounding out what could be a potentially lethal team.

If Heywood can pilot home Mackellar and a few other winners from his combination with Williams on Sunday, he may well agree with Dorothy Mackellar and her most famous line from My Country, "I Love A Sunburnt Country".

Goulburn’s seven-race card kicks off at 1.20pm on Sunday with the track currently rated a Soft 5.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Goulburn here