A scintillating mid-race burst of speed that took him from near-last to first saw backmarker Ryley Major outclass his rivals in Sunday night's $30,000 Devonport Cup.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Trainer-driver Rohan Hillier settled Ryley Major one-out, four-back from his 30m handicap but took off with 2-1/2 laps to go.
The $3.20 favourite sprinted so quickly he went straight past the leader Be Major Threat and, from then on, Hillier dictated the race.
He got away with leisurely sectionals of 32.2 and 31.3 for the first two quarters of the last mile and Ryley Major then ran his last 800m in 58.8 seconds to comfortably hold his rivals at bay.
"I've always wanted to win a Devonport Cup and to win my first one with this horse is pretty special," Hillier said.
"He was off the scene for three years and we probably never thought he'd make it back.
"He's done a super job tonight - he was still very strong on line."
Hillier prepares the eight-year-old for his wife Katrina and his 31st career win took his earnings past the $300,000 mark.
Ryley Major scored by 5.5m from Be Major Threat with the winner's stablemate Lip Reader 3m away third.
However a protest from fourth-placed Tisu Spirit against the runner-up for early interference was upheld which left Hillier with the quinella.
PONDER SWOOPS ON MARES' INCENTIVE
A blistering early pace set up the $12,000 Mares Incentive for a swooper and it was Pink Ponder who finished best for a narrow win.
Driver Mark Yole said the nine-year-old "always hits the line hard when she can be driven cold.
"It was set up for her when they really went hammer and tong a long way from home," Yole said.
"It took her a long time to get around the field but she was able to tough it out and just get over the top of them."
The win completed a treble in the first five races for trainer Ben Yole who also supplied longshot runner-up Signorina Jujon.
Juniper, who set the hectic pace, had nothing left on the home turn but held on for third.
BEN YOLE FINISHES WITH SIX OF BEST
Ben Yole picked up his fourth win for the night and second feature in the $12,000 Coastal Pacing Thousand with Proficient.
Driver Conor Crook got a three wide trail as he worked into the race and the eight-year-old finished too strongly for his rivals.
"He had been racing in slightly higher grade so I thought he just needed a genuine speed to be hard to beat," Crook said.
"He goes well on this track - probably because he's a backmarker who needs the pace on and you nearly always get that here.
"On the bigger tracks in Hobart and Launceston the races are more stop-start."
Ben Yole went on to win six races for the night and his father Wayne was also successful with Brighton Prince to give the family a super meeting.
Results -
1: 3.70 BELIEVE IN FOREVER (G Smith), R Hillier) 1, 2.30f SOMEDAN fr (T McDonald) 2, 5.50 LOCKAWAY KACIE fr (P Williams) 3. 2.3m, 0.4m. 1:59.3.
2: 6.50 LORD BAZALUP (B Yole, C Crook) 1, 3.80 JO DINA fr (T McDonald) 2, 31.00 IDEAL JO (G Rattray) 3. 3.5m, hd. 2:02.8.
3: 2.20f AUSSIE ROCK (L Rand, T rattray) 1, 9.00 OZZIE MAJOR fr (C Crook) 2, 2.90 HEZA SPORT fr (R Hillier) 3. 7m, 4.5m. 2:02.0.
4: 14.00 JAKES A JOY (B Yole, G Rattray) 1, 3.50ef BORDER CROSS fr (T McDonald) 2, 3.50ef GUYS BETTOR BET fr (C Crook) 3. 1/2 hd, 11m. 2:03.3.
5: 5.00 PINK PONDER (B Yole, M Yole) 1, 41.00 SIGNORINA JUJON fr (T McDonald) 2, 26.00 JUNIPER fr (T Rattray) 3. Hd, 6m. 2:02.
6: 6.00 PROFICIENT (B Yole, C Crook) 1, 7.00 LAID BACK KENNY fr (H Van dongen) 2, 11.00 SCOTLYNN BEACH fr (M Jones) 3. 3.5m, 0.5m. 2:01.3.
7 - DEVONPORT CUP: 3.20f RYLEY MAJOR 30m (R Hillier, R Hillier) 1, 7.00 LIP READER 20m (C Crook) 2, 15.00 TISU SPIRIT fr (M Yole) 3. Protest 4th v 2nd upheld. 5.5m, 3m. 2:03.8.
8: 2.90f GENTLEMAN RED (B Yole, R hadley) 1, 34.00 FREDS UNDER FIRE fr (N Emery) 2, 3.90 ONEOFTHELADS fr (M Yole) 3. 8m, 0.5m. 2:05.2.
9: 1.80f BRIGHTON PRINCE (W Yole, T McDonald) 1, 5.00 ARTYBOY GLENWOOD fr (T Rattray) 2, 23.00 SOUTHERN GNP fr (C Crook) 3. Nk, 3.5m. 2:03.6.
10: 4.60 HEZATOFF (B Yole, R Hadley) 1, 26.00 WAR CHEST fr (B Miller) 2, 4.60 LIVE FOR PEAXE fr (M Yole) 3. 1.5m, 4.5m. 2:03.1.