Tasracing

Sunday 17 March 2019 was a day where many people were getting over a massive Tasmania Cup card the night prior, but that night in Launceston the come-back story of Ryley Major entered another chapter when he scored at his first start in 983 days from an injury-enforced lay off.

That chilly autumn night his trainer-driver Rohan Hillier was hoping that he would be able to get a couple of runs into his star pacer believing that he was dealing with a week to week proposition.

He handled his C5 to C7 opponents that night with ease defeating Northview Dave by 4.6-metres.

Fast forward 12-months Ryley has notched up 17 wins, with $141,546 in prize money and now the star pacer is favourite for the states premier race, the Group 2 Ladbrokes Tasmania Cup on Saturday night. 

“I thought we would get a few runs into him and that might be it, but to keep him going and to be as sound as he is at the moment, we’re pretty happy,” explained Rohan Hillier ahead of Saturday night’s Group 2 feature.

Ryley Major enjoying a splash last season, beach work has been an important asset in his return to racing.

Hillier has never hidden behind the fact that the pacers come back has been a team effort behind the scenes at his Beauty Point base in northern Tasmania. He is often reminding journalists of the help and support of his wife Katrina, their daughter Makenna, Rohan’s brother Troy and stable foreman Conor Crook who are just some of the names he has mentioned over the past 12 months.

Ryley Major finished third in his heat of the Tasmania Cup on 1 March, ending a winning sequence of 11 wins.

He lost no admirers that night, his mile rate off the 30-metre handicap was only one second outside his track record with the Tasracing Calculated Sectionals recording his last half mile in 56.19s, the quickest recorded by any horse in the two heats.

“I think what cost him the race was early doors, we stepped two lengths in front of Illegal Immigrant and then we got into a scrimmage, Illegal Immigrant ended up settling fourth and we were well back that’s how much ground it cost him,” explained Hillier.

“He kept coming, and everyone knows that when you’re four-wide on the last bend in Hobart when they are running time you are in a bit of trouble,” added the trainer-driver.

Hillier rates three runners in the race as the hardest to beat including Im Sir Blake who finished 6.5-metres in front of him in the opening heat, along with last Sunday’s heat winner Im Back In The Day.

“Both of them are the hardest to beat, they are going to settle in front of me, and I can’t see them wanting to let me go in front of them,” explained the Beauty Point-based horseman.

“The Announcer with a better getaway if he were to end up in front, he would be hard to beat as well I think,” he added.

Saturday’s feature is the grand final for the star pacer with trainer-driver happy to miss next month’s Easter Cup in Launceston.

“He has been up for a while, and he is probably not as sharp as he could or should be, I’m going to tip him out for a spell after Saturday night and give him a couple of months off as his leg is holding up well and I think he can come back and be a fair bit better than he is now,” said Hillier.

Another Tasmanian in the race with an each-way chance is Goggo Gee Gee who could deliver a fairy-tale result.

Goggo Gee Gee arrived in the Frankford stables of hobby trainer Rachel Williams in February last year after part-owner Lori Jarvis decided to get back involved in the sport.

“Lori was looking to get back into the industry as she had been out of the game for a while. She asked Barrie Rattray if he knew of any horses that were on the market. Our priority was for a horse with a good temperament, and he came up with little Goggo,” explained Williams.

Goggo Gee Gee winning the 2020 Burnie Cup.

Since being in her care, Goggo Gee Gee ran a narrow second in this year’s Devonport Cup before winning the Burnie Cup two starts ago.

Speedy Ben was the last horse to win both the Tasmania Cup (1974) and the Burnie Cup (1972).

Goggo Gee Gee pinged straight to the lead in his heat when rundown late by Im Sir Blake.

“I was getting a bit excited half-way down the straight, I knew he would keep battling away, and that’s what he did, a better horse beat him on the night,” said trainer Rachel Williams who only has two horses in work.

“I honestly can’t believe he is in the race, it’s a dream come true because I didn’t think I would have a horse good enough to go around in it and I’m sure Ben (Parker) never thought he would get a chance to drive one in it,” she said.

“We know he will do his best and I reckon he will give a bit of cheek,” added the trainer.

Williams has continued to be loyal to driver Ben Parker, who drives on a hobby basis around his work and volunteer fire fighting commitments.

“Ben has been driving my horses for many years now without much luck, we knew if we kept persisting, we would get a change of luck and some nice horses and this season my two horses have been trying their heart out for him,” she said.

Watch Tasracing’s harness form expert Jamie Cockshutt and TasracingTV Live Stream host Duncan Dornauf discuss the feature races on this weeks The Joy Of Finding A Winner Show: