STAR Tasmanian harness racing mare Shez Ryleymak will make her swansong appearance in the prestigious $20,000 George Johnson mares classic at Tattersall’s Park in Hobart on New Year Day.
The mare was to have had two outings before retiring to stud but she had to be scratched from last Sunday night’s Mother Of Pearl due to her aggravating a knee injury sustained during her Victorian campaign earlier this year.
Shez Ryleymak’s trainer and part-owner Rohan Hillier said the mare was expected to go ar6ound kin the Mother Of Pearl and he also expected her to win.
“The mare hurt her knee in Melbourne (in September) and I’ve been battling with it ever since,” Hillier said.
“I thought I had her right for the Mother Of Pearl but she gave it (injured knee) another tap during trackwork,” he said.
Shez Ryleymak is in foal to Art Major so the George Johnson will definitely be her last outing.
Shez Ryleymak has a sensational record of 22 wins and 16 minor placings from 48 starts for over $260,000 in stakes.
During her illustrious career she was voted Tasmanian two and three-year-old of the year and in those seasons she also was named Tasmanian horse of the year, a feat unlikely to be repeated in the near future.