Four-year-old mare Karalta Moondance continued her liking to the Devonport track with an all the way win in the Collins Homes Mobile in Devonport last night.
Veteran reinsman John Walters took the daughter of Rock N Roll Heaven straight to the lead in the 1930 metre event to record her sixth career victory and her third win on the track.
Karalta Moondance ($4.70) was able to hold off a late charge by Paint The Wind by 2.9 metres with The Lemondrop Kid 1.1 metres away third, the mile rate was 2m 3.3s.
“John (Walters) was pretty confident he was going to lead, so I was happy to trust his judgement,” said trainer Kent Rattray after the win.
It was the first win in almost four months for Karalta Moondance but Rattray has been happy with her recent performances.
“She hasn’t been racing bad she has just been striking a few better than her … she seems to be a nice horse to race at Devonport as she can control the speed a bit,” explained Rattray.
The mare will now have a week off before returning to the tack.
“She will have a week off and bring her back and find a race for her,” said the winning trainer.
Karalta Moondance is also standing start qualified which gives Rattray several options over the Christmas – New Year period.
“She has had a couple of stands now so we might look at one of the mares standing start races over the summer,” Rattray explained.
Karalta Moondance is raced by Kent’s parents Wayne and Gaye with Karalta Moondance pocketing them just under $70,000 in prize-money plus many Tasbred bonuses, Breeders Coupons and Tasbred Owners Breeders Incentive bonus in her 38-start career.
The long term target for the mare will be the Group 2 Granny Smith Final in Devonport on 14 June, apart of the $300,000 Tasbred Sires’ Stakes series.
Punters got off to a rough start to the meeting when the Gavin Kelly trained and driven pacer Jeans Mattjesty stormed home to score in the Ladbrokes Claimer at odds of $54.70.
Shes Gifted ($11.30) raced wide during the final circuit to register her second win since arriving in Tasmania with Paul Ashwood driving the Andrew Thornton prepared runner to a half-head victory.
Major Seascape ($5.90) led all the way to win the John McKenna Race Night Vet Pace by a narrow margin. The win of the four-year-old gelding was the first leg of a training double for Ben Yole who prepared Artiflash ($2.30 fav) to score later in the night. Both horses were driven by Yole’s two stable concession drivers with Troy McDonald aboard Major Seascape, while Samantha Gangell partnered Artiflash to his 1.4-metre win.
Artiflash will be trying to beat the handicapper when he lines up for the pole draw in Hobart on Sunday night in the second race where once again he looks the one to beat.
The Deborah Williams trained Jaccka Len ($3.60) overcome barrier 10 over 1930-metres to score in the last race of the night, courtesy of a confident drive by Hannah Van Dongen over the final lap.
