PUNTERS who follow the drives of brothers Gareth and Todd Rattray would have been laughing all the way to the bank after the first four races in Hobart on Sunday night.
The brothers shared the honors with two wins each with the shortest price $3.40 offered on Prettyboytroy in the opening race on the nine-event card.
Gareth Rattray partnered Prettyboytroy for trainer Michael Laugher. He made full use of the inside draw to lead and then rated the four-year-old entire superbly to eventually go on and score by over three metres from the favourite Dressed In Black ($2.60) with Line The Pocket a metres away third, coming from well back on the home turn.
Gareth’s other win was for his father Barrie aboard talented three-year-old filly Benediction that ended a run of outs that began after she won the County Guineas at St Marys on New Year Day.
Todd Rattray’s double was for trainer Heath Szczypka which comprised stable stalwart Albert Jones and a more recent arrival Parwan Rocket.
Albert Jones ($4.90) has been racing in top form of late to continue to defy his years (10) and this most recent effort was arguably one of his best.
He came with a well-timed run to defeat Bonny Wee Laddie by a half-head with Rock And Run over five metres astern.
Parwan Rocket was having only his fifth start for Szczypka but the win was far surprising.
He was previously with the Craig Demmler stable where he had a win at Mooroopna in country Victoria in October last year and his previous win was a year earlier at Charlton when in the fare of Brian Gath.
But he was very impressive, scoring by a handy margin from Dallas Getaway that stormed home along the rails after training the leader throughout with Spendt a closing third and just in advance of Innasbrook that faced the breeze and stuck on well in the home straight.