Rattray's triple treat

Longford trainer-driver Todd Rattray dominated the feature races in Launceston on Sunday night winning three of the four main races on the 11-race card.

Kohanah proved too good for his rivals in the Group 2 Ladbrokes Globe Derby Stakes.

Rattray was able to work off the pegs from his inside of the second-row draw soon after the start to end up one-out and three-back.

Settling off a handy tempo Rattray made his move three-wide at the 800-metre mark, and after being headed by Kosimo half-way down the straight, the Sweet Lou colt dug deep late to score by a half-neck In 1m 59.2s.

“He done a good job, I thought he was going to stop a bit in the straight, but he kept on fighting and to do what he did tonight was a good effort, said Rattray after the win.

The pacer had been out of the winners stall for almost nine months until winning his heat last week.

“We changed his shoes on him as we thought he was getting a bit sore in his feet, and the steering isn’t too flash at the moment, and we are still trying to fix that, but he is getting better every run,” added Rattray who indicated the colt will now have a break.

Ignatius bounced back into the winner’s list for the first time since arriving back in Tasmania in the Doug Martin Danbury Park Cup.

After starting off a 20-metre handicap in the 2698-metre event, Rattray settled well back in the 14-horse field before making his run three-wide from the 1100-metre mark to outstay his rivals in a mile rate of 1m 59.4s, just 0.3s outside the track record.

“He has been going alright, he has to do all the work in his races and did again tonight, he is probably getting a bit fitter,” Rattray said after the win.

“I was a fair way back, they were running a bit upfront, so I was happy to go with a lap and a bit to go and get up there,” added the trainer-driver.

Rattray didn’t lock in a firm commitment if the pacer would return back to his brother James in New South Wales in the future.

“We will just have to play on what races are about and make sure his is right and go from there,” he said.

Rattray also won the Shirley Martin Mother Of Pearl with former New South Wales pacer Feel The Burn.

Rattray indicated the mare would likely head to some standing start races including the country cups.

The other Group 2 feature was the 6ty Bandbox which was taken out by come back pacer Blame It On Me.

Trainer Doug Nettlefold said he was “relieved” after the win

The Big Jim filly fractured her leg earlier this year, which resulted in three screws being inserted into her offside hind leg.

“All credit to vet Tom Russell from the mainland who came down and screwed her leg back together and our local vet Catherine Charlton,” said Nettlefold.

“We have never had a hiccup up at all getting her back to the track, she did scare us a couple of times, as after so long you put her out in the paddock and you get worried when she tears around that she was going to slip or do something,” explained the trainer.

Driver Natalee Emery settled the filly outside the leader before sweeping to the lead working off the back straight.

Blame It On Me went on to score by 4.9 metres over Better Amour with Auntie Connie a further 10.4 metres away third in 2m 0.1s.

“Nat is a bit like a mother to the horse, she has stood by us with everything we have been through with the horse and has always been there, tonight was the first time I had seen her worry when she turned for home, but she has been cool and always done what she has needed to for the horse and not knocked her around,” Nettlefold said.

The trainer is unsure where the filly will go next given her high national rating.

 

Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing