Tasracing

Ryley Major added another feature race to his glowing resume when winning the Listed McKilliop Insurance Brokers Tassie Golden Apple at the Ladbrokes Racing Centre in Launceston last night.

It was always going to be a tough ask for the Rohan Hillier trained and driven pacer off his 30-metre handicap in the 2200-metre event, but that didn’t worry favourite punters sending him out as the $1.85 favourite.

The gelded son of Art Major smashed the track record in his heat when recording 1m 57.6s, but last night’s race was run at a slower tempo during the early stages which made the task harder for the backmarkers to get into the race.

“I made my run a bit earlier than last week as they went a bit slower early,” said trainer-driver Rohan Hadley after the win.

“He was off his feet at the top of the straight but he dug his feet in and got the job done,” added Hillier with the pacer racing three and four wide over the final 1100-metres, with the last 800 metres of the race being run in a fast 56.91s.

Ryley Major scored by a neck over the fast-finishing Ideal Again who was the only interstate pacer contesting the race, with Dasher Houli a half neck away third in a mile rate of 1m 59.1s.

“I have won plenty of big races but to win a big race with this horse is pretty special,” said Hillier who bred the pacer with his wife Katrina.

The gelded son of Art Major is out of Shez Ryleymak who was also trained by Hillier and was the winner of 23 of races including two Group 1 events.

Ryley Major started his racing career in impressive form winning 10 of his first 15 starts including the Group 3 Dandy Patch as a two-year-old plus the Tasmanian Derby at three, but after a tendon injury in July 2016 the star pacer was forced to the sidelines before returning in winning form in Launceston on 17 March this year.

Hillier has toyed at contesting some country cups in Victoria in the past month but the plans to head across Bass Strait have been put on hold for now.

“He will have a week off as there isn’t much around for him then we will head towards the Devonport Cup,” said the winning trainer-driver.

The $30,000 Devonport Pacing Cup will be held on 2 February.

Comments from the beaten drivers:

2nd Ideal World – Alex Ashwood: “he had a good trip, if only the splits opened a bit earlier he would have been the winner, but I was still happy with how he went.”

3rd Dasher Houli – Taylor Ford: “we did all the work racing outside the leader, I thought I was still a chance around the home corner, he just got tired late.”

4th Illegal Immigrant – Troy Hillier: “he went good, I thought he was a big show at the top of the straight but wasn’t quite good enough.”

5th Sea Double Ugrant – Mark Yole: “I thought his run was super, he was probably just lacking race fitness, he was defeated by a star but I was wrapped with his run.”

6th Full Speed Ahead – Ricky Duggan: “I thought if we got a comfortable first lap, which he did, that he would be able to run a solid 1200 metres, but I was gone off the back, he just couldn’t back up again this week.”

7th Black Centurian – Gareth Rattray: “he didn’t have much luck, he was three back the pegs, I got onto the back of Dasher Houli up the straight and still had plenty of horse left.”

8th Frostyflyer – Rohan Hadley: “he is not a standing start horse, it was encouraging enough at the finish.”

9th Jeans Mattjesty – Conor Crook: “it was a good run, he was only defeated a couple of lengths so it’s not a bad effort for an old claimer.”

10th Im Jaks Teller – Paul Hill: “found what I thought was the best position but the run never came and we went to the line hard held, would have gone very close if we got a gap.”

11th Jackka Len – Hannah Van Dongen: “he went well for him, he struggles a little bit in that class and needs the right run and luck in this grade.”

12th Taurisi – Todd Rattray: “galloped away and blew his chance then.”

Watch the replay of the 2019 McKilliop Brokers Tassie Golden Apple at Listed level: