07 June 2022 | Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing
Four-year-old mare Most Perfect Major recorded her first win since December 2020 when scoring in the inaugural running of the Leis Fillies and Mares series in Launceston on Tuesday afternoon.
Reinsman Rodney Ashwood took the daughter of Major In Art straight to the lead in the $12,000 event and controlled the race in quarters of 30.9s, 31.5s, 28.8s before dashing home in 28.4s to defeat Szabolski Leis by 5.4m with the race favourite Iden Miss Lucy a further 2.7m away third.
“I think she has improved from her recent break.
“Her run last week in Hobart was pretty good when she ran second to Lancelot in 1:57,” said Ashwood after the race.
“She is pretty consistent, she is never far away from the good ones but I think she has got a lot more maturity and is learning how to race now,” added the driver.
It was the third career win for Most Perfect Major, at her 31st race track appearance, with her resume including 11 placings.
The mare is eligible for the Group 2 Granny Smith later in the season, and is raced by her breeders Michael and Bruce Whelan along with Rodney Blowfield.
Most Perfect Major’s trainer, Ray Pullen, was absent from the meeting due to ill health.
The Shallows made a winning return to the track from a spell when scoring in the Bevan Lees Discretionary over 2200m.
The Heath Woods-trained and driven pacer settled back in the field from his 20m handicap before proving too quick late to score his 19th career win.
“I wasn’t real sure how he would go but he did trial well a few weeks ago, so we were just hoping he would run a nice race,” Woods said post-race.
“I think having a few runs off 30m over 2600m just took the edge off him a bit last preparation as he was chasing them in quick time all the time.
“I will just take each race as it comes, we will miss (the Ulverstone Cup) on Friday night, and we will just keep him going through winter as there seems to be a few more horses in the open class ranks this year,” the trainer-driver said.
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