MULTIPLE premiership-winning reinsman Gareth Rattray missed the last two months of the 2013-14 racing season due to illness but he has been making up for lost time of late.
Rattray registered a treble at the Devonport meeting last Thursday night to take his tally to seven winners from three meetings in the space of 10 days.
While he was winless in Hobart on Sunday night he managed two minor placings.
At Devonport last week his drive aboard Hello Good Shanks for his life partner-trainer Melissa Maine was outstanding and testament to why he has won the past eight Tasmanian drivers’ premierships.
Rattray had Hello Good Shanks settled near the rear of the field from his wide second-row draw (10) and he waited for the perfect time to send his charge around the field.
Hello Good Shanks rounded up the leaders and burst clear close to home to score impressively from Carly Seelster that also rattled home, while race leader Aventador tired over the concluding stages to finish third.
It was a race-to-race double for Rattray who also scored aboard Jazzy Jane for his uncle Kent Rattray
Jazzy Jane showed early brilliance to cross to the front from barrier five and once in the lead Rattray dictated the pace to suit and she went on to win convincingly.
The trainer was delighted with the win and suggested he might target races at Devonport for the mare in the immediate future.
“This mare has been struggling in races in Launceston and Hobart, so we’ll probably poke around down here (Devonport) from now on,” the trainer said.
“We’ll also look at races on the country circuit over Christmas – New Year,” he said.
Jazzy Jane is raced by the trainer’s children Wade (22) and Tori (21).
Photo courtesy of Greg Mansfield.