HALL of Fame horseman Barrie Rattray is as proud for Tasmania as he is family with the huge influence the state has on Saturday night’s $1 million Ladbrokes Inter Dominion pacing final Albion Park.
Rattray was representing his son Jimmy at the barrier draw earlier this week when Nyack, a horse they bred and started racing in Tasmania, drew the back row in the final.
Just having a finalist in the sport’s most iconic race is special.
In Rattray’s case, it always stirs memories of his family's greatest pacer, Beautide, who won back-to-back Inter Dominion finals at Menangle in 2014 and ’15.
Like Beautide, Nyack is trained at Menangle outside Sydney these days by Jimmy Rattray, but don’t think for a moment he’s not flying the Tasmanian flag.
“Oh, he’s a Tasmanian alright,” Barrie Rattray said. “He’s just on loan to the mainland. He was bred at home, he is owned there and did all his early racing there.
“We’re thrilled to have another finalist, it’s exciting for us, but it’s important for Tasmanian harness racing, too.
“The great thing is, there are at least five horses in the pacing final with really strong and genuine Tasmanian connections.
“Triedtotellya is the obvious one. He’s bred, owned and trained at home. Max Delight was bought by Mick (Maxfield) as a yearling, so he’s been Tassie-owned all his amazing career and won a few races down home.
“Fighter Command was bred in Tasmania and is part-owned there, while War Dan Buddy is part-owned by a Tasmanian, too.”
Retired West Coast businessman Bill Viney is War Dan Buddy’s part-owner and races a string of top line horses with leviathan Geelong-based owners Danny and Jo Zavitsanos.
Reigning Tasmania Harness Horse of the Year, Triedtotellya, drew best of the Tassie-connected finalists in gate two, but his trainer-driver Rohan Hillier is realistic about his chances as a $101 chance.
“We came here to try and make the final and we’ve done that,” he said. “Like so many, as a kid growing up I was glued to the ABC (TV) watching Inter Dominion finals and dreaming of being part of them.
“The (good) draw helps, but it’s a different league here and we’re not good enough to be right in the finish against these superstar horses.
“If we could find the pegs (fence), I’d love to think he could finish in the first half of the field, but Leap To Fame and Captains Mistress, they’re on a different level.”
Back to Rattray and he concedes a back row draw has cruelled Nyack’s chances. He drifted to $81.
“It’ll be so hard from there, especially in a race this strong,” he said.
Even old Max Delight, who lining up for a remarkable fourth Grand Final at his fifth Inter Dominion series, faces a daunting task from a tricky barrier four. He’s a $71 chance.
Fighter Command, who stormed home to win his first heat, is a $41 shot from gate 12, while the most favoured of the Tassie connections is pole-marker War Dan Buddy at $26.
Most see the final as a two-horse war with Leap To Fame $2.20 favourite in his quest to overcome a back row draw (gate 11) and win a third final, while likely leader Captains Mistress (gate six) continues to firm at $2.50.
PHOTO: Club Menangle/Pacepix
