Trots Centre: Tassie hope ready for Major cup tilt

Adam Kelly won’t be taking any credit if Ryley Major lands the Group 3 $30,000 Renown Silverware Ararat Pacing Cup on Friday night.

That praise, he says, should go to Tasmanian horseman Rohan Hillier, who has left the eight-year-old warrior with the Toolern Vale trainer for a crack at the 2021 Trots Country Cups Championship.

Hillier drove the son of Art Major in last Saturday night’s TAB Pure Steel - where he was an eye-catching fourth behind Max Delight - and has trusted Kelly to steer the ship for what is hoped to be a lucrative Victorian campaign.

“I’ve had a good association with the Hilliers, getting horses off them over the years when they’ve got to metro level,” Kelly said.

“Ryley Major has had soundness issues all of his life and I think Rohan, over the years, has looked after him and that’s why he’s done such a super job.

“He’s brought him over (to Victoria) a couple of times, but now we’ve got all the country cups. Instead of chasing off 30m over there, he might as well race in a few country cups over here and see if he can earn some nice money for them.”

Ryley Major’s career record is really quite something. He’s won 31 of 51 career starts – including once at Melton – for more than $300,000 in prizemoney. And he’s no stranger to group-race success, having won a number of features along the way including the $75,000 Tasmania Cup back in March last year.

“He hit the line super (last Saturday night) so hopefully Rohan’s training can stay in him and I’ve just got to keep him ticking over,” Kelly said.

“All the hard work is done. I’ve just got to keep the horse happy.

“His attribute is that he tries his guts out.

“He can definitely win the race. If he goes like he went the other night or how he can go – he’ll be fighting the finish out for sure.”

Ryley Major is certainly one of the fancied runners in a small, but quality Ararat Pacing Cup field that includes the talented Im Anothermasterpiece (Jess Tubbs) and impressive last-start winners Modern Bliss (Ash Warton) and Majestic Cruiser (Geoff Webster).

Meanwhile, Andy Gath’s emerging squaregaiter Havehorsewilltravel is set to start a warm favourite in the Group 3 $20,000 Niota Bloodstock Ararat Trotters Cup.

The former Kiwi is a half-brother to top stablemate McLovin and has won all five of his Australian starts.

Ryan Duffy will drive one of the race’s other key contenders in Scruffy Doolan, and he spoke with Trots Life during the week about his chances.

“He raced Havehorsewilltravel in the Cobram Cup and wasn’t too far away from him, but obviously Havehorsewilltravel has gone on its winning ways and keeps getting the job done week in, week out,” he said.

“I think the horse in that race that will be probably one of the other key dangers will be Well Defined. I think it ran Havehorsewilltravel to a couple of metres in the Cobram Trotters Cup.

“They’re both off the front line and being over the 2500m around a tight circuit, I’d be very surprised that if Well Defined finds the front, it would be handing up.”

The first race on Friday night kicks off at 6.18pm, with the last to go at 10.20pm.

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