IT was a fitting end to the harness racing season for champion reinsman Gareth Rattray who landed a treble in Launceston last Sunday night to easily capture his eighth consecutive driver’s premiership.
The three winners, Melolyn, Siduri and Call The Marshall, took his season’s tally to 86 which had him 32 clear of his nearest rival Ricky Duggan.
Rattray fell well short of his record of 116 winners but it was a great win given he is no longer the number one driver for his father Barrie who captured his 15th trainer’s premiership.
Gareth and his partner Melissa Maine celebrated the birth of their first child this year and that led to Rattray moving away from the family property at Longford, paving the way for his twin brother James to take over as number one stable driver.
Last Sunday Rattray’s most satisfying win was aboard Siduri that is trained by his partner Maine.
It was an effortless all-the-way win by the promising three-year-old filly that was sensationally backed in from $2.50 to start $1.80 in fixed odds markets.
Siduri (Live Or Die-Mardinova) scored her only other win about a year ago but she has only been with Maine for this latest preparation.
Listen to what trainer Melissa Maine had to say about Siduri’s latest win.