Rattray celebrates treble as Razzmatazz impresses on debut

Trainer-driver Todd Rattray enjoyed a successful afternoon at Launceston’s Ladbrokes Racing Centre, Mowbray, on Sunday, with a harness racing treble on the nine-race card.

Razzmatazz made a winning start to her career by claiming the D.H.R.C. Devonport Belmont (1680m) for two- and three-year-old fillies.

Sent out as a $2.60 chance, the daughter of Downbytheseaside ended up racing behind the leader from the pole draw, before Rattray got into the clear out four-wide entering the home straight, where she finished off best to score by 3.5m over Bellas Angel ($8) and Farrahs Legacy ($26) in a mile rate of 2:00.4s.

The filly is out of Benediction, making her a half-sister to this year’s Inter Dominion placegetter Nyack and Group 2 winner Kohanah.

“She has taken a while to get going to a few of our other two-year-olds, and when she learns what she is doing, and with more racing, I expect we will see the best of her,” said Rattray.

“She came out of that spot and felt good doing it and hit the line well, so you can’t ask for much more than that.”

Rattray said the filly will be aimed at the Group 3 Evicus in Hobart next month.

Bettablack Tiger ($2.80 fav) was the middle leg of Rattray’s treble when proving too tough in the Ladbrokes More On Tote Loading Pace (2200m).

The five-year-old Betterthancheddar gelding led up the one-wide line and was driven along from the 500m, but was too tough for his rivals late, scoring by a half-head over Go The Red ($3) in a mile rate of 1:57.2s.

“He is a funny horse. You sort of don’t know if he is going to go or not, and if he does go, he can go too hard.

“It was a tough win, and I think there are a few things we can still improve on with him. If he pulls up well, we will look at the Show Cup next Sunday.”

Quarteira ($1.70 fav) took his record to two wins from three starts when coming three-wide from a midfield spot at the 900m to take out the Ladbrokes Next Multi In Next Up Pace (2200m), to score by a half-neck in 1:58.0s.

“I thought he would have gone a bit better than he did. He did hang a bit in the run.

“I took the hood off, and he was a bit lazy early, which isn’t like him, but there is a horse there when we get him right, and we got the win, which was the main thing,” the trainer-driver said.

The state’s leading driver Dylan Ford claimed a double on the card with the Dean Braun-trained Bearhunta ($3) and Soho Tiger Lily ($2.70 fav), which was also the first leg of a training double for Wayne Yole, who prepared Busload Of Faith ($3.10 fav) to win later on the program.

Kayleb Williams was another driver to record a double with Weona Eagle ($10) and Cheys Angel ($4.20). Senior reinsman John Walters teamed up with the Kent Rattray stable to score with Colby Sanz ($8), who recorded his fourth win of the season.

By Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing