Magician produces a magic mile again

Magician (Sweet Lou) claimed another Tassie harness racing sprint feature, scoring in the $14,000 CUB Devonport Quality (1680m) in Launceston on Sunday night.

Sent out the $1.10 favourite from the pole draw, reinsman Gareth Rattray endeavoured to lead on the Sweet Lou gelding, while his stable mate Nyack crossed in the early stages.

Gareth quickly got the pacer one off the inside before working to the lead near the 1150m. From there, Magician had the race run on his own terms and responded to Gareth’s driving over the final 400m to score by 5.9m over Nyack ($6) and Kivik ($81) in a race where the first four settled on the pylons.

The race was run in quarters of 27.7s, 30.7s, 28.8s, and 28.1s. On a cold Launceston night, the mile rating was 1:55.1s, just 0.7s outside the track record held by Call Me Hector.

“I tried to muster speed to lead early, but Nyack was a bit too quick for him, and once he crossed, I thought I might try for the front and was able to take the retake. Once he found the front,  he would always be hard to get past,” said Gareth Rattray post-race.

“There doesn’t seem to be any bottom to him. He just keeps coming every time a horse comes to him, which are signs of a real good horse,” he added.

Gareth, a Hall of Fame member, was asked how the horse rates amongst the best he has driven in the state.

“He would have to be up to there.

“There are similarities to Beautide a little bit with his hanging and whatnot, but he still has a fair way to go yet,” said the driver.

Magician had another preparation in New South Wales after his fourth placing in last year’s Eureka at Menangle, where he just missed out on racing in some of the pinnacle races in that state. Gareth believes the pacer could make it in the top grade in that state.

“That was the aim last year to get him into those better races, but he just missed out. He has only had 31 starts, and I think there is improvement there, and I think he will head back there (to Sydney) and try his luck,” the driver said.

Trainer Todd Rattray drove Nyack and was happy with the performance, but he said that he was “sick of running second” as that pacer continued on the path that Magician took last season.

“With the Raider Stakes and Beautide coming up I wanted to drive Nyack to make sure everything was right with his steering and that. Magician is going well, and Gareth has driven him before, so I didn’t think he would mind,” said Todd.

Sheffield Cup

Major Davvin (Art Major) ($91) ended most people’s quaddie tickets when scoring in the opening leg, the Sheffield Cup (2698m).

Starting off a 20m handicap in the 65 or better-conditioned event, driver Brodie Davis was able to get the Art Major gelding away well and settle in the one-one before being produced three-wide at the 500m.

The Steven Davis-trained pacer proved to be too good late by a half-head to defeat All For Dave ($1.60 fav) and Kuzma ($26).

“It wasn’t a big surprise to me as he is a real good horse over the long trip, and it really suited him tonight where they kept rolling along,” said Brodie post-race.

The win was the first leg of a winning double for Brodie, who won on Nil Desperandum ($6) later in the night.

For complete race results, click here.

by Duncan Dornauf, for Tasracing