Faithful Gabby’s emphatic win in last night’s $30,000 Granny Smith Stakes was a gratifying result for multiple premiership-winning driver Gareth Rattray and his partner-trainer Melissa Maine.

Faithful Gabby started a short-price favourite against top opposition, but once she rolled to the front early in the race, it was always going to be a matter of ‘how far’.

The daughter of American Ideal scored by 23-and-a-half metres from Jane Grant, with Pharaohs Wrath a metre away third in 2:03.7 over 2665 metres.

The mare has been dominant in everything she has tackled this season and it was just reward for the couple.

A year ago Rattray and Maine made a decision to branch out on their own by buying a property at Latrobe and have developed it into a great training complex.

“It’s been a long 12 months…for Melissa and I to do this by ourselves makes it very special,” Rattray said.

“This is probably the best horse we’ve trained and we’ll now give her a break before we take her interstate.

“We’re looking at either the Breeders Crown in Victoria or some mares’ races at Menangle.”

Rattray has dominated Tasmania’s driving ranks for the past decade, winning the drivers’ premiership since the 2005-06 season and this year is on target to collect his 10th consecutive title.

Maine sits second on the trainers’ premiership table with 25 wins courtesy of a double last night. She is only two behind Rattray’s father, Barrie.

Rattray has 72 wins on the board, with his nearest rival Ricky Dugan sitting on 38.

• PETER STAPLES