Ignatius tip to go Stateside

Rattray- trained gelding back to best in Cup victory

STAR Tasmanian pacer Ignatius could be racing in the US next year if negotiations to buy the five- year- old are settled later this week.

The Todd Rattray- trained gelding returned to his best to win the Danbury Park Cup over 2698m in Launceston on Sunday night and that win could have been the clincher for his potential buyers.

“We’ve had an offer for the horse that we have rejected but it wasn’t to far off what we were asking, so we are waiting on a call later this week to see if they are interested at our price,” Rattray said yesterday.

“We’ve put a price of $ 170,000 on him but we don’t really want to lose him.

“The offer was a bit below our price ($ 140,000) but maybe the win on Sunday night will make the deal happen.” Ignatius produced some amazing wins over the past three seasons, winning the two, three and four- year- old Breeders Challenge series finals in NSW to become the only horse to win in the series finals in all three age groups.

“We are hoping to get him to the Breeders Crown for five- year- olds and over in Victoria this year because I’m now confident he is getting back to his best,” Rattray said.

“He has taken a bit longer to find his right form this time in but this latest win was terrific because he had to do it the hard way off the back mark of 20m and he was strong on the line.”

Ignatius, owned by Rattray’s wife Lyrae, returned to Tasmania after spending over two years in NSW with the Tasmanian trainer’s brother James Rattray. But after winning a race at Menangle in July, he was out of the placings at two subsequent outings in restricted grade that led to him being sent home.

“We wanted to give the horse a break and get him back home to a different routine and that’s worked,” Rattray said. Ignatius has started 43 times for 21 wins and 10 minor placings for $ 451,000 in stakes, with a career- best mile rate of 1.50.2 recorded in winning the Paleface Adios Stakes at Menangle in February last year.

Rattray had a night out in Launceston, winning three feature races on Sunday, including the Globe Derby sires stakes final with his well- bred three- year- old gelding Kohanah, who showed courage to outgun his rivals in the $ 50,000 3YO classic. Kohanah ( Sweet Lou- Benediction) claimed the favourite Micton Mouse at the top of the straight and forged to the lead and then fought back to defeat Kosimo, who loomed to win 100m from home but fell short. “I was rapt with Kohanah because he has saved his best for last,” Rattray said.

“He started to find some form leading up to the Globe Derby but the way he fought on when almost headed was great and it surprised me a bit.”