Outstanding reinsman James Rattray will gain valuable experience of the Gloucester Park track when he drives Gallileo and This Time Dylan for Pinjarra trainer Michael Brennan at Friday night’s meeting.
The 30-year-old Tasmanian-born Rattray will be campaigning with Australia’s champion pacer Beautide in the $1.8 million TABtouch Inter Dominion Championship series at Gloucester Park and Bunbury in November and December.
Beautide is a warm favourite to win his third successive Inter Dominion Championship after scoring brilliant victories at Menangle in February 2014 and last March. Beautide, who also won the Miracle Mile at Menangle in November 2013, has amassed $2,020,212 from 45 wins and 18 placings from 74 starts.
Rattray, who is now domiciled in New South Wales, won the Australasian Young Drivers’ championship in 2005. In 2012 he was the leading driver in Tasmania for the seventh year in a row. He drove regularly in New Jersey in the American summers of 2009-10-11-12 and has the distinction of being the first Tasmanian to drive a winner in the United States.
Gallileo and This Time Dylan faces difficult tasks and will be at liberal odds on Friday night.
Gallileo will start from barrier three on the front line in a 2503m stand in which the 20m backmarker Norvic Nightowl will be a hot favourite. Gallileo has a losing sequence of nine since he raced in the breeze and defeated Tyler Diamond in a 2503m stand last April.
At his most recent appearance, at Northam on August 11, he sat behind the pacemaker and finished third behind Wynberg Terror, beaten only a half-length.
This Time Dylan, who will start out wide at barrier six in the 2130m Sully’s Painting New Seasons Pace, is past his prime. He managed just four thirds from 16 starts last season and his most recent success was in a stand at Gloucester Park in May 2014. He raced in the one-out, one-back position before fading to last behind Bettors Fire over 2536m last Friday night.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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