In Brief
- Ryley Major gives Hillier his third Hobart pacing cup.
- Star pacer becomes the shortest-priced winner of the race.
- Next weeks Metropolitan Cup the next target.
Ryley Major continued his dominance of the Tasmanian harness racing scene when he scored an effortless win in the Group 3 Triple M Hobart Pacing Cup at Ladbrokes Park tonight.
Sent out the shortest price favourite in the history of the race at $1.06, Hillier allowed the gelded son of Art Major to stroll to the lead at the 1700 metre mark in the 2090 metre mobile start event.
“I thought there might have been a bit more speed early, but as it turned out the speedsters went back and made it for him a little bit,” said trainer-driver Rohan Hillier after the race.
“I think Todd (Rattray) was a little bit dirty on himself that he didn’t hand up last week so once he had done that work early, I thought we would find the top,” added the Beauty Point-based horseman.
From there the race was a procession with the pacer dashing home in a 56.77s last half mile to score by 8.6 metres over Izaha with 2015 winner Star Chamber a short half-head away third.
The mile rate for the event was 1m 57.77s.
Ryley Major had 982 days away from the track following a tendon injury after racing at Melton in July 2016.
He returned to the track in March this year where he has won 16 races.
“I have got to give all credit to the people at the stable, Troy (Hillier), Conor (Crook) and Makenna (Hillier) … he gets looked after pretty well this horse, if he is not at the beach, he is in the pool or we are doing something with his legs so I can’t thank them enough,” said Hillier who explained there was a stage where he didn’t think he would get the pacer back to the track.
“He came back after 12 months and wasn’t going to make it so we gave him another 18 months off and this time he has stayed sound so touch wood he can,” said Hillier with the win being his third in the race after winning with Im Barney Rubble in 2017 and Waiona in 2011.
The win was the tenth in a row for Ryley Major, the record for the greatest number of wins on Tasmanian soil in succession is held by Halwes at 13, with Resurgent Storm and Happy Prospect recording 12 wins on end.
Ryley Major will be chasing his eleventh win in a row in Hobart on 16 February.
“We have got the Metropolitan Cup next week and I think we will go there, and then head towards the Tasmania Cup,” Hillier said.
The $75,000 Group 2 Tasmania Pacing Cup will be held on 14 March with heats to be held on 1 and 8 March.