Ryley Major takes out the Tasmania Cup

Beauty Point-based trainer-driver Rohan Hillier has been a respected figure on the Tasmanian harness racing scene for several seasons, and last night at Ladbrokes Park in Hobart, he and his star pacer Ryley Major took out the Group 2 Ladbrokes Tasmania Cup.

From a 30-metre handicap, the star pacer began well in the 2579 metre event to settle one-out and four-back with the second favourite Im Sir Blake ruining his chances when he galloped out.

“He began really good and got a nice run through so that was plan A out of the way,” said trainer-driver Rohan Hillier after the win.

At the 1800 metre mark, Hillier left his position in reach of the spot outside the leader, but to his surprise, the lead was there, with the race favourite finding the lead with 1200 metres to travel.

“I was sort happy to find the breeze at the mile peg, but I just kept going and ending up finding the lead,” added Hillier.

Hillier went for home at the top of the home straight, and he was too good by 1.1 metres from Its Back In The Day who settled on the back of the winner for the final 1200 metres, with 2014 winner of the race Star Chamber flashing home for third a further neck away.

The mile rate off the 30-metre handicap was 2m 1.4s, with the star Tasmanian pacer becoming the first Tasmanian bred pacer to win the race since Prodigious in 2001.

It wouldn’t have been a feature race without some controversy, and there was a couple of minutes after the race that would have worried connections when the driver of the second place getter, Rhys Nicholson reviewed the steward's patrol film over the concluding stages, but he failed to press on with any protest.

The win demonstrated Hillier’s ability in the sulky with a brilliant drive, but it is the training performance of the pacer who sustained a tendon injury after a race at Melton in July 2016.

Ryley Major had the world at his feet before that injury winning nine of his 13 starts prior including the 2016 Tasmanian Derby.

The injury saw the pacer being absent from the track for 983 days and on 17 March of last year, the day after the Tasmania Cup, Ryley Major made a winning return in a $5,500 race in Launceston, not even at that stage did Hillier believe Ryley Major would still be racing 12-months on from that win.

“I have to pinch myself, I thought we would be patching him up week to week and was going to just try and win a few easy races, I knew the ability the horse has got and touch wood that he has stayed sound all that time, and hopefully he can stay sound for another year,” explained the winning trainer-driver.

Hillier has ruled out a start in next months $75,000 Ladbrokes Easter Cup in Launceston instead deciding to give the pacer a break.

“He has been up for a really long time and hasn’t really had a good break, so we will do that now, we had the Mildura Cup on ice a few weeks ago, but he just seemed a bit flat in himself (in recent starts), we will give him a good break and probably come back in six months times,” said Hillier about the future plans.

While Hillier’s name is down as trainer in the racebook, he always singles out the work done by those behind the scenes including the effort of his daughter Makenna who does a lot of his work with him in the water as well as his brother Troy and stable foreman Conor Crook.

Ryley Major, a gelded son of Art Major, is out of the Totally Western mare Shez Ryleymak who was purchased by the Hillier’s for $5,000 at an interstate yearling sale in 2007.

Shez Ryleymak took them on an enjoyable ride winning 23 of her 50 starts including two Group 1 wins and $270,000 in prize money.

Who knows, maybe Ryley can match his mum with a Group 1 next time in, we will have to wait and see.

Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing