Rattray ramping-up towards Auckland

By Adam Hamilton

DUAL Inter Dominion winner Jimmy Rattray is warming to the thought of being part of this year’s Auckland series.

But it will be another couple of weeks before he makes the final call.

The possibility of taking a couple of his former Tasmanian stars across to Auckland gained momentum when stable newcomer Harjeet won a Menangle trial yesterday (Monday).

Stable star Ignatius returns to the trials at Menangle next Monday.

“Both seem well, but I want to get a trial or two into them then make the decision on Auckland,” Rattray said.

Harjeet, now six, raced 31 times for 17 wins and nine placings in Tasmania for Rattray’s brother, Todd, before being sent to NSW a couple of months back.

His record is quite similar back in Tasmania to the mighty Beautide, who went to another level after being moved to Sydney where he won two Inter Dominion titles.

“The family has always had a big opinion of this horse and he’s come-up well. It was good to get that trial into him,” Rattray said.

Harjeet won the mile trial by 4.5m in 1min53.8sec and closed in splits of 55.3 and 27.4sec.

“Ignatius is ready to trial as well, but I’ll wait until next week for him,” Rattray said.

The Auckland Inter Dominion flavour stretched to yesterday’s (Monday) Bathurst trials where three contenders, Steve Turnbull’s Atomic Red and Courtsinsession as well as Amanda Turnbull’s Ellmers Image, clashed in the opening trial.

It was another local, Misterfreeze, who won the 1730m trial in blazing 1min53.4sec mile rate by whisker over Ellmers Image with Courtsinession another head away third. Atomic Red was beaten just 4.7m in fourth spot.

The mile rate was just one-second outside Mista Lombo’s track record.

Steve Turnbull’s pair, Courtsinsession (gate 10) and Atomic Red (11), both returns from spells in the free-for-all at Menangle on Sunday.