Hoping to gain some minor consolation

CONNECTIONS of rising star Major Meister are hoping to gain some minor consolation at Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday night.

Unbeaten from four starts since arriving at Adam Kelly’s stable from New Zealand, Major Meister was among the main chances in a Vicbred heat at Ballarat last week.

To the dismay of Kelly and crew the son of Art Major was pulled out of the race after travelling just a few hundred meetings.

The horse trailing Major Meister hit driver Zac Phillips’ sulky puncturing his tyre.

“It was pretty disappointing but it was one of those racing incidents,” Kelly said. “I feel for the owners as they paid a late fee to have him in the Vicbred and then didn’t even get a real go at it.

“In the days when they ran heats at different tracks on different days he would have had the chance to go around again, but these days one incident like that and you’re out of the series.

“Unfortunately that’s how it is and now we go on to the next race.”

That “next race” is a $20,000 event over 2240 metres where Major Meister has drawn the outside of the second row.

Phillips will once again take the reins behind the three-year-old.

“I had two options for him at Melton and he was going to draw the back line in both given the preferential conditions,” Kelly said.

“I picked this one as it’s over 2240 metres so gives him a little more ground to get into the race.”