10 December 2021 | Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing
Beauty Point-based trainer-driver Rohan Hillier will be chasing his second Group 3 Rare Earth Tassie Golden Apple in Launceston on Saturday night, where he has a two-prong attack in the 2200m standing start event.
Hillier trains and drives 2019 winner Ryley Major, while he also puts the polish on Lip Reader, who will be chasing his first feature race win after placings in several group and listed races.
Ryley Major finished second in his heat last week behind Sunny Sanz, where he fought on well in the home straight after doing plenty of work to tack on from his 30-metre handicap before moving to the spot outside the leader in the middle stages.
“He did plenty of work. If Conor (Crook) had his time over again, he probably doesn’t go when he did, but it’s pretty hard to make a decision over a 2200-metre standing start when they are going flat out all the way and you start off 30 metres,” said Hillier who will be back in the sulky on Saturday evening.
Despite the tough run, Hillier is happy with how the gelded son of Art Major has come through some recent hard racing.
“He has come through the run really good. He has been to the beach a lot this week and worked well on Tuesday,” said the trainer-driver.
Ryley Major has tasted success in a number of the states premier races, with Hillier believing his stable star is getting back to some of his best form after being slightly disappointing earlier this year.
“I think he is a lot better than what he was this time last year, but I don’t think he is as good as he was when he won the race two years ago,” explained Hillier.
In the opening heat, Conor Crook, who took the reins in the heat on Ryley Major, will be reunited with stablemate Lip Reader in the $30,000 event and was third behind Sunny Sanz and Ryley Major in his heat.
“Troy (Hillier) drove him well in the heat when they started off 30 (metres), and when they run 1:59.4 they have got to run a sensational 2200m, and that’s probably not his go, he is more a sharp sit and sprint horse, and when he has to run that time it probably takes the edge off him a little bit, but in saying that he is in the final with a big chance,” Hillier said.
Lip Reader’s feature race record includes a second placing in this year’s Tasmanian and Devonport Cup and being runner up to The Shallows in last years Golden Apple.
Both Ryley Major and Lip Reader share the 30-metre back mark with The Shallows, who won the second heat of the Golden Apple last week, where he sat back in the field and sprinted home best to score. Hillier rates this year’s Group 2 Tasmanian Cup winner as a strong contender in Saturday’s final.
“I think all of the back three are a chance, plus whatever horse jumps on top, I wouldn’t disregard whatever horse off the front line led.
“Whoever jumps on the bunny is going to run and going to run hard otherwise we are a chance to beat them,” Hillier said.
The Tassie Golden Apple is race six on a 10-race card, with the meeting getting underway at 18:04.
Races one to four will be televised on Sky Racing 2, with the remainder of the card on Sky Racing 1, with Jacob Bevis and Adrian Collins heading up TasracingTV’s live stream coverage.
The meeting will coincide with Inter Dominion Final night at Menangle in south-western Sydney, where the Mick Maxfield owned Max Delight is a $17 chance in the $500,000 final, while there is also some Tasmanian interest in the ownership groups of Spirit of St Louis ($16) and Mach Dan ($41).
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