18 February 2019 | Shane Yates
Tasmanian champion four-year-old Ignatius suffered from another horror draw in Saturday night’s Group 1 $200,000 Chariots Of Fire.
Trainer-driver James Rattray had no other option than to press forward in the early stages from a wide draw, but was trapped three-wide through the first turn in a scintillating first quarter of 26 seconds and drew up into the death seat through the second split of 27.9-seconds.
The enormous effort started to take its toll in the home stretch as the Emma Stewart trained Poster Boy, with Chris Alford in the sulky, swamped the early speed setters to claim the Chariots Of Fire and record a mile-rate of 1:49.1.
Ignatius battled on courageously in the straight to finish ninth, 15.3-metres from the winner.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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