A new Rattray in the winners’ circle

The name Rattray is synonymous in Tasmanian harness racing and another member of the famous family recorded their first win as a harness racing trainer in Launceston on Sunday night (Sep. 11).

Neville Rattray, a brother to successful trainers Barrie and Kent Rattray, recorded his first win with Ideal Karalta (American Ideal), who scored in the Dakin Refrigeration Pace.

Confidently driven by Gareth Rattray, the gelding went to the lead from outside of the front-row before racing away from his rivals from the 300m to go on and score by 15.3m.

While it was Neville’s first win as a harness trainer in four starts, it’s not the first training win for him, having success in the thoroughbred code in the late 90’s.

Neville took out his trainer’s license in recent months after retiring from work.

“I retired about 12 months ago and bought a property at Carrick about a kilometre from the track so everything lined up for me to get a horse to fill in some of my time.

“Kent had this one and they’d given up a bit on him so he told me to come and grab him,” Neville told The Examiner Newspaper this week.

The win was a full family affair, with Ideal Karalta being owned and bred by Neville’s parents Wayne and Gaye Rattray.

For complete race results and replays, click here.

Vale Eric Fleming

The harness racing industry was saddened to lose another stalwart last week.

Eric Fleming passed away last week, aged 85.

Fleming, along with his late wife Rene, ran the successful Killarney Stud and was also a successful owner, trainer and administrator.

His contribution to the harness racing industry was recognised with the state’s highest honer, the Edgar Tatlow medal, in 2007.

He was privately cremated.

by Duncan Dornauf, for Tasracing