Searching for another Beautide

FORMER Tasmanian, James Rattray continues to enjoy his wonderful run of success in New South Wales and also the surrounds of his training establishment in the Southern Highlands.

The astute horseman has confined the majority of his racing to Tabcorp Park Menangle over the past six years and reached lofty heights through the deeds of his Inter Dominion champion pacer Beautide.

Of course, Rattray would love to find himself another Beautide but for now, is content with his handy stable of pacers, led by Saturday night’s winner Ignatius, which keep paying their way.

On Thursday night Rattray headed to Penrith with just one runner but made it a worthwhile trip when he took out the final event with the royally bred two-year-old, Honey Chicken.

The filly, by Bettors Delight and out of the former top racemare, Miss Tricken Lombo was having just her third start in a race and led throughout to score a comfortable win.

Honey Chicken is the fifth winner for Miss Tricken Lombo, who also won 15 races and more than $230,000 in stakes.

Rattray continued on his winning way on Saturday night at Menangle when his current stable star Ignatius resumed from a spell to score in a tight finish, rating a slick 1.51.

And it was a top training effort by Rattray to score with the son of Roll With Joe as he had not been to the races for four months and only had one trial leading up to his return on Saturday night.

The five-year-old, which was bred by the Rattray family, boasts an exquisite record having won 20 of his 37 career starts, amassing almost $450,000 along the way.

This afternoon, Rattray heads back to Tabcorp Park Menangle with two horses and will be hoping to maintain his recent good strike rate.

His first runner is Rolled In Gold, a lightly-raced filly that has not been seen since March.

She will contest the Mates 4 Harness Maiden Pace (Race 1) and is well-fancied in early betting markets.

But Rattray will be pinning his winning hopes on his second runner Jimartee (Race 6), which like several of his horses, is returning to the races from a spell.

The gelding took out the Young Derby back in March and as a two-year-old won three on the bounce, including a Breeders Challenge Regional Final at Wagga.

 – MICHAEL DUMESNY