BROCK RYAN – THE BUZZ CAME BACK

BROCK Ryan knew the moment “the buzz was back”.

Three hundred and thirty-one winners into his riding career, the now 31-year-old jockey pulled the pin after finishing unplaced on $26 outsider Extreme Freedom for his former bosses and greatest supporters Rob and Luke Price at Hawkesbury on March 28 last year.

“I had a bit going on at the time,” Ryan recalled today.

“My partner Madison Waters (fellow jockey) and myself had started a family (son Parker is now two years of age), and I had come back from a shoulder reconstruction.

“To be honest, I had lost the drive and was going to the races not fully committed.

“You have to be totally committed to succeed in this game.”

Ryan took a break from racing – but not from the industry – to firstly look after the couple’s young son, whilst allowing his partner (who is about to become a fully-fledged jockey) to kick start her apprenticeship again with Team Price.

He then got a job for 12 months working as part of Illawarra Turf Club racecourse manager Dave Anderson’s team.

“I was doing things such as imowing, whipper snippering and moving the rail and really enjoyed it,” Ryan said.

“I even started studying turf management.

“However, I was on apprentice wages and thought I would start riding a bit of trackwork again.”

That was the last week in March, and Ryan says a “light bulb moment” happened pretty quickly.

“It was my second or third morning back and Luke (Price) sent me out on the new B grass (inside) track at Kembla Grange on Spirit Of Varanasi.

“He wanted the mare to have a solid gallop, so I gave her a good sound out and knew straight away the buzz was back.”

Ryan continued riding work until he was confident he was ready to ride in races again - and did just that at Kembla Grange last Saturday with two rides; his first in 14 months.

At only his fourth return ride - again at his home track yesterday – Ryan was back on top with win number 332; fittingly for Rob and Luke Price.

He landed the Provincial Maiden Handicap (1300m) on $2.10 favorite Cuban Rain, who broke through by nearly two lengths at her eighth start, and in colours her comeback jockey was no stranger to.

Ryan had won five races – all at metropolitan meetings, including the 2023 Listed Carrington Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick – on now retired 10-year-old Cuban Royale, along with three on Cuban Rain’s dam Cuban Belle.

“Cuban Rain was never going to lose,” Ryan said. “She jumped well and quickly put herself into a winning position.

“It was an unreal feeling. I got a bit emotional when we hit the finish.

“I put my head down and took a deep breath.”

Ryan had little time to dwell on his successful return, as he rode in six trials back at his home track this morning.

He has taken two mounts at Canberra’s ACTON (synthetic track) meeting on Friday, and also has several bookings at Newcastle on Saturday.

“It’s great to be back, and my weight isn’t an issue,” he said.

“Even when I wasn’t riding, my weight never went above 52kg working at the track as I was moving around all the time.”

Seems he will doing a different kind of moving now; advancing his name up the premiership ladder.

. HOOFNOTE: Ryan has renewed acquaintances with his manager Brad Glendenning, who can be contacted on 0414 374699 for rides.

“Brad looked after my rides previously, and never pushed me to come back and regularly kept in touch,” Ryan said.

Story John Curtis, June 4, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos