26 October 2020 | Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing.
It was a night dominated by the states north-west coast in Hobart on Sunday night, with the silverware of the two group two features heading back up the Midland and Bass highways.
For the third time in his driving career hall of fame reinsman Gareth Rattray recorded five winners on Sunday evening’s Hobart card, including the Group 2 Dandy Patch and Evicus.
Here was how the two feature races unfolded.
Dandy Patch
Wesley Vale trainer John Castles claimed his first Sires’ Stakes win when Agouda Ruler defied a betting drift ($4.00 out to $8.50) to score in the $50,000 event.
From the pole draw driver Gareth Rattray was able to settle on the back of the $1.28 favourite Rocknovertime before utilising the Nutrein Ag Sprint Lane in the home straight on his way to a 2.3-metre victory in a mile rate of 2m 0.9s.
“He was able to hold the leaders back, he did sort of over race during the middle stages, but when I pulled the earplugs he dug deep up the sprint lane,” said driver Gareth Rattray after the race.
It was the sixth career win at start 12 for Agouda Ruler who has been up for some time, after going around in the first two-year-old trial and race this season.
“I think he raced in the first two-year-old and he is still here now, it’s a big effort for him,” said Rattray.
“He is still a big baby, big and gangly, so he will have a break, and he will come back stronger and hopefully a bit better,” added Rattray.
Trainer John Castles said post-race that he thought he was in with a chance when the barrier draws were released.
“I was very happy when the draw came out, and I think that went a long way to the final result, said Castles.
Castles also ruled the pacer out contesting the Golden Slipper in Launceston later in the year, electing to send the pacer to the spelling paddock.
“Somewhere along the road you have to draw the line, he has been going for a while now,” added Castles.
Agouda Ruler is raced by north-west coast owner-breeders Larry and Liz Nichols, and is by Betterthancheddar and is out of Tasmanian Oaks winner High Flying Ruler.
Highflying Ruler produced another foal on the night prior, a filly who is sired by Vincent.
Evicus
Gareth Rattray was back in the winner’s circle to give trainer, part-owner and breeder Craig Hayes his first Sires’ Stakes win in the $50,000 Tasracing Evicus Final with Melnrowley.
The Heston Blue Chip filly led all the way over the mile trip to score in a new two-year-old fillies track record of 1m 57.5s.
“She had to muster enough speed to hold the ones on her outside early,” said driver Gareth Rattray.
“She copped a bit of pressure mid-race that I didn’t really think would happen, but it did and she felt good down the back straight and through the corner she was travelling pretty well, and I kicked, she was sort of waiting for them a little bit, but she is a great filly,” explained the winning driver.
Rattray has had a good association with Stowport based trainer Craig Hayes, including Melnrowley who has won five of her six starts.
“I’m very thankful Craig (Hayes) gave me the drive on her and we have had a pretty good association over a lot of years that started with a horse called Mister Tehaych, and I think we won about 18 races with him and hopefully we get to continue the association going forward,” explained Rattray.
Trainer Craig Hayes admitted he was a bit concerned with the mid-race pressure but said: “When you have the best drivers on it makes a big difference.”
The filly will also miss the Golden Slipper later in the year and will head for a spell.
“She will have a nice break, and because she is going to have a strong national rating when she comes back I will probably have to wait and see when there’s some three-year-old classics on, because otherwise she will have to race the older and tougher horses and I don’t want to be doing that with her,” said Hayes.
Melnrowley was bred by Craig along with his wife Tania.
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