Star pacer Pachacuti has made light work of his back mark to become only the second horse in 12 years to win the Devonport Cup off a 30-metre handicap.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Longford trainer-driver Todd Rattray declared the seven-year-old “right back to his best” after his comfortable win in Sunday night’s $25,000 feature race.
Pachacuti, a surprising betting drifter to start at $5.30, scored by 6m over $21 chance Black Centurian with rank outsider Poker Storm ($72) a similar margin away in third place.
Rattray, who prepares the gelding for Lyndon and Simon Dakin, said Pachacuti was destined to race in Melbourne after a short break.
“It will depend on how he pulls up but he might need a week off to freshen up,” Rattray said.
Pachacuti has previously raced with success at Menangle and Rattray is hoping his Sydney-based brother James keeps his eyes off the horse this time around.
“I’m hoping James doesn’t take him off me,” he said.
Pachacuti gave Rattray his first Devonport Cup win as a trainer but he has previously won it as a driver on Devendra in 2014.
Devendra went on to win two Inter-Dominion heats.
Pachacuti’s performance convinced Rattray that the gelding is now going as well as when he won three races in Sydney in 2015.
“The way he went tonight I’d have to say he’s right back to his best,” the trainer said.
“He had to do a bit work early to get up outside the leader and did a terrific job from then on.
“He was really strong at the finish.”
Rattray settled Pachacuti second-last before starting a three wide run around the field with three laps to go.
It took him 400m to reach the death seat where he remained just briefly before rolling to the front two laps from home.
From then on, Pachacuti was always travelling like a winner.
TODD RATTRAY had no luck in an earlier feature race when favourite Kvitova Leis was declared a non-runner after the $10,000 North West Plate final.
Stewards said that the starting tape hit Kvitova Leis in the leg, denying her a fair start.
Connections were upset that a false start wasn’t declared but the starter reported that he didn’t see the incident in time to abort the race.
The Real Reverend came off 20m to win the race for all-conquering trainer-driver Craig Hayes.
Tizyalator caused a major upset for trainer-driver Adrian Duggan when he ran down odds-on favourite Hillview Jake in the Coastal Pacing Thousand at tote odds of $55.10.
Modern Chic led all the way for Mark Yole in the Dash For Cash with hot favourite I Am Camelot, who was in a lather of sweat, breaking and taking virtually no part.