Ryley Major chasing back-to-back Cups

After an impressive 2019-2020 harness racing season, Ryley Major will be looking for back-to-back Hobart Pacing Cups when he lines up in the $25,000 event in Hobart on Sunday night.

The gelded son of Art Major recorded an 8.7-metre win in last year’s Cup in 1m 57.9s, but that race was run over 2090 metres.

This year’s edition will be held over the longer 2579 metre distance.

Like many in the race, Ryley Major comes out of the Tassie Golden Apple at his most recent appearance where he missed a place for the first time in his 47-start career, but he was far from disgraced finishing fifth after racing wide in a fast last half mile.

Tasracing’s calculated sectionals recorded Ryley Major’s own last half mile in 54.67s, the second fastest since they have been recorded since December 2018.

“I was really happy with him. Obviously, it’s that hard to win off 30 (metres) over that distance it isn’t funny,” said Rohan Hillier after that event on TasracingTV’s coverage.

“He hit the line well and had a flat tyre the final 150 (metres), but he never gave it away,” added Hillier.

Ryley Major has drawn inside the second row on Sunday night, with eight runners’ the small field will suit his chances.

The Golden Apple was won by the Heath Woods-trained and driven The Shallows, with the Group 3 win being the biggest success in his 30 start career and with the scratching of Blackbird Power, he will start from barrier four in the $25,000 feature on Sunday.

By completing the course in the $25,000 event, The Shallows will break the $100,000 mark in prizemoney as he aims for a winning hat-trick.

The Shallows loves the Hobart track with 10 of his 14 wins coming at the venue.

An interesting newcomer to the state, The Crimson Prince, is the only other runner in the race at single-figure odds.

The former Victorian trained pacer has joined the Northdown stables of Geoff Smith with 10 wins from 31 starts to his credit.

He won a claimer at Ballarat on boxing night in 2m 0.4s but was placed at Melton the start prior in metro grade when defeated 1.6 metres in 1m 53.0s

Paul Hill will drive the Betterthancheddar gelding.

Many horses contesting the Hobart Pacing Cup will head towards the Group 3 Devonport Cup on 17 January, but some horses that may face a big handicap in that event may look at many country cup’s that are being held during that period in Victoria.

Sunday night’s 10-race Hobart card will be live hosted on TasracingTV, with the first race to be shown on Sky Racing 2, with the remaining races on Sky Racing 1

Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing