McKenna part-owned the Ciaron Maher-trained Regina Coeli, which won a stirring Annual yesterday in front of 13,100 patrons.

McKenna, a long-time racehorse owner and former Warrnambool Racing Club committee member, celebrated with family and friends into the early hours in his home-town pub at Woolsthorpe.

The win capped a big week for McKenna, whose company the Midfield Group  was given state government approval to build $70.8 million milk processing and cold storage plants adjacent to his Warrnambool abattoir.

The 65-year-old self-made multi-millionaire is accustomed to achieving, but for all his business accomplishments and other racing successes, yesterday’s victory trumped them.

“That’s the greatest achievement I’ve had,” McKenna said.

McKenna heaped praise on part-owner and good friend John Maher and his trainer son Ciaron for their roles in Regina Coeli’s four-length win over top-weight Lord Of The Song. 

Another home-track hope, the Aaron Purcell-trained import Dhaafer, was a further three-quarters-of-a-length away third.

Before yesterday, McKenna had part-owned two other horses which had started in the famous race without success. 

But he found himself in a rare position in the closing stages of another thrilling Grand Annual.

“She’s tough, she is as tough as they come,” he said of Regina Coeli.  “When they went past the second time around and she was just cruising with Johnny (Allen) I thought ‘she’s going to win it’.

“The only trouble was I have a share in Dhaafer and I didn’t know which one I wanted to win.

“It doesn’t matter, it’s a great thrill. It’s unbelievable, it’s unbelievable.”

Regina Coeli’s owners include McKenna, his wife Janice, along with Eileen, John and Ciaron Maher.