CHAMPION Tasmanian reinsman Gareth Rattray celebrated his 100th winner for the season in style when he produced the drive of the night to secure victory aboard Levina Leis in the final of the Eric |Reece Memorial at Tattersall’s Park in Hobart on Sunday night.
Levina Leis (Holmes Hanover-Kvasha Leis) led but Rattray opted to hand up to the favourite Call Me James but the move proved fruitful when Rattray was able to extricate his charge from the fence turning for home and she eventually gunned down the favourite to win by three quarters of a metre with Woodland Chapel over six metres astern in a blanket finish for third.
The filly is trained by Barrie Rattray who described the drive as “masterful”.
“Gareth is a great driver and this was one of his best,” Rattray said
“The Eric Reece is a race that most trainers like to win and I’ve been lucky to have won a few,” the trainer said.
“I prepared Prodigious to win the Reece and he went on to win a Group 1 Tasmanian Championship.”
“I’m not saying this filly is in that class but she is a very nice horse with a bright future,” the trainer said.
Gareth was thrilled with the win and while he was pleased to reach 100 winners for the season he was more interested in talking up the performance of the filly.
“Getting 100 is great and it was good that it was on a nice filly like this one,” Gareth said.
“She is a very good sit and sprint horse and I’m sure she will get better with age,” he said.