In Brief
- Star pacer ready for race track return.
- Trainer-driver happy with the pacers recent trial.
- Agouda Ruler lining up for fifth win in a row.
Star Tasmanian pacer Ryley Major returns to the track in Launceston on Sunday night for the first time since winning the Group 2 Tasmania Cup in Hobart on 14 March.
The gelded son of Art Major won 18 of his 24 starts last preparation, which was his first after an injury forced break that saw him have over 800 days on the sideline.
“He needed a break, he had six weeks out at an agistment place at Longford, he has been back in work for around 12 weeks,” said his trainer-driver Rohan Hillier.
The Beauty Point-based horseman has given his star pacer one trial before Sunday’s first-up assignment, the Elders Insurence Free For All which is race seven on the card at 19:57.
That trial was in Launceston on 28 June where he scored in a mile rate of 1m 57.5s for the 1680-metre journey.
“Time-wise it was good, but they were running good time on the night, he needed the hit out and obviously he has improved since then,” said Hillier who is the state’s leading strike rate trainer this season.
Some of his main rivals on Sunday include Illegal Immigrant, Star Chamber and No Spring Secrets are all last start winners, and with the right run can feature prominently along with Call Me Hector who draws well to take up his favourite position in front.
“I respect all of them, but if he turns up, I think he is better than them,” said Hillier.
As for the plans going forward with Ryley Major, well Hillier simply doesn’t have one.
“I don’t have a plan with him, we will just keep poking around in the free-for-alls, and at present, there is only one a month which isn’t ideal, and we can’t go anywhere interstate,” explained Hillier..
Prosecution Witness is the other runner from Hillier’s stable going around at the meeting in race six, the Tassie Wash Pace.
The gelding galloped out in his first standing start try and began well at his second attempt when he started off the second row before finding trouble when a couple of runners galloped in front of him.
“It’s not a bad field, he will be driven pretty cold, and that’s how he likes to be driven, if he has a go he will be in the finish if he doesn’t he will run his usual third or fourth I suppose,” added Hillier.
Sunday’s meeting commences at 16:37 for the two-year-old’s where Agouda Ruler will be chasing his fifth win of the season. Trainer John Castles has added a rein burr to the offside of the gelding.
That race will be shown on Sky Racing 2 with the remainder of the card on Sky Racing 1. All races will also be shown on TasracingTV.
Two trials will be held prior to the meeting from 15:57.