All by herself in the Golden Apple final

All By Myself (American Ideal) announced herself as a contender for several feature races in Tasmania early next year, with a dominant harness racing win in the Group 3 Lees Orchard Tassie Golden Apple Final in Launceston on Sunday night.

Trainer-driver Rohan Hillier positioned the daughter of American Ideal behind the leader from her inside of the second-row draw in the 2200m standing start race.

From there, all Rohan Hillier had to do was produce the $7 chance at the right time, which he did at the top of the home straight with the mare racing away to score by 5.3m over Wattabout Spangher ($31) with Rick Reilly ($61) a short half-head away third.

The mile rating was 1:59.8s.

Trainer-driver Rohan Hillier said he landed in a position he didn’t expect.

“I was laughing after the first 50 meters as there was no way in the world did I think that I would settle behind the leader. If she had been beaten, I would have been disappointed as I have a good opinion of her,” said Hillier post-race.

“Nothing went right in the heat. She galloped out and had a flat tyre, so I expected a big improvement,” added the trainer-driver.

Rohan and his brother Troy have had great success purchasing tried horses from New Zealand that they have gotten on low ratings and raced through to open class in the state.

“I think if you watch enough races over there and get to know the form, which is better than ours, you can find a nice one.

“She was only a cheap one as she didn’t pass the vet, but she had some form around some really nice horses, and we were probably lucky to get her,” Rohan said.

Rohan explained that nearby Greens Beach had been an essential tool for the pacer.

“It’s one of the main reasons I tipped her out (after her second start in the state in June).

“She needs to be swimmed and go to the beach, and it was just too cold to swim her and was too cold to take to the beach as well so we tipped her out and brought her back in for this time of the year,” he said.

Rohan is hoping that the mare can collect more silverware over the summer.

“I think the Devonport Cup (in Launceston) and Easter Cup are right up her alley. She is pretty one-dimensional as a sit and sprint mare, but sometimes that can work in your favour in those big races,” he said.

The win was the second win in the race’s six-year history for Hillier, who trained and drove Ryley Major to victory in 2019, one of two Tasbred pacers to have won the race.

Hillier is the only trainer or driver to have won the race twice.

For complete race results, click here.

by Duncan Dornauf, for Tasracing