Beauty Point-based trainer-driver Rohan Hillier is turning the Group 3 Lees Orchard Tassie Golden Apple into his own race, after Triedtotellya ($2.60) delivered him with his third win in the eight runnings of the 2200m event in Launceston on Saturday night.
The five-year-old gelded son of Well Said has had an injury-plagued career, but he has certainly made up for his time away from the track for his connections since joining the Hillier stable earlier this season, winning seven of his eight starts, including a heat and then the final of the Easter Cup, the Launceston Mile and now the Tassie Golden Apple.
Starting off a 20m handicap, Triedtototellya paced away safely and settled one-out and three back, before improving three-wide at the 1100m, and got a cart into the race on the back of Heza Punk Rocker ($1.70 fav), who galloped early, and ended up in the one-one.
Hillier produced Triedtotellya four-wide near the 400m, where he let down with a fast sprint to score by 7.7m from Heza Punk Rocker, with Maebee 5.8m away third.
The mile rate off the 20m handicap, was 1:57.9s, 0.7s outside the track record, with the last half-mile run in 55.8s.
“He didn’t begin as well as he can, but he lobbed handy to put himself right in the race,” said Hillier post-race.
“He had all the luck, and he was following the right horse (Heza Punk Rocker), and he put him away pretty quick, which was pleasing.
“They smoked the last half, but he was just jogging,” said Hillier.
Hillier has never shied away from the fact that he has a very high opinion of the pacer since he first fast-worked him earlier in the year, and he again reiterated those thoughts.
“He is a real serious horse this horse, he doesn’t take a lot of work, and we have worked out how to work him now, we were a bit hard on him last time in.
“He can go a long way, I’m sure.
“He will have a couple of easy weeks, and we will pick a couple of races out,” the trainer-driver said.
Globe Derby Final
Three-year-old colt Hungry Hippo continued his good record when claiming the Group 3 Nutrien Ag Solutions Globe Derby Final for the Tasbred Three Year Old colts and geldings.
Driver Alex Ashwood had the Emma Stewart-trained pacer positioned in the one-one, and was left leading the one wide line from the 950m, when Preparation choked down, and veered off the track before falling.
Hungry Hippo has now won five of his seven starts, and has been runner-up on the other two occasions, including a second last week when a beaten favourite.
“Things didn’t pan out last week. We couldn’t get wound up, but things worked out perfectly today.
“We had to make it a staying test at the 600m because he doesn’t get around the corners too well, so we had to take the sting out of the leader (Okanui Beach) somehow.
The mile rate of 1:57.3s equalled the longstanding Three-Year-Old Colts and Geldings aged record set by Lannercost in 2010.
Hungry Hippo was bred by Tasmanian breeder Brooke Hammond, who offered the pacer at the 2023 Nutrien Tasmanian Harness Racing Yearling Sale, with Hammond offering a three-quarter sister to Hungry Hippo by Downbytheseaside at the 2026 sale on 14 February.
