EX-VICTORIAN A "FORCE" TO BE RECKONED WITH

MAY the force be with you!

Wyong trainer Sara Ryan has opted to run Galactic Force in the Midway Family Funday Midway Maiden Plate (1300m) rather than against his own age in the XXXX Gold 3YO Maiden Handicap (1400m), where he drew awkwardly, at Hawkesbury tomorrow.

And she has been able to secure Tim Clark to ride the former Victorian gelding, who is lining up for his third start since being transferred from co-trainers Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman.

“I don’t often get the opportunity to book Tim at the provincials, and it’s good to have him on,” Ryan said this morning.

Galactic Force is raced by a Blueblood Thoroughbreds syndicate, and the trainer is aiming for a similar result as with stablemate Master Zous, who races in the same colours.

Master Zous also was transferred from the Moody-Coleman yard, and she won with him at Wyong in February.

Galactic Force, a Cosmic Force three-year-old, was a $3000 “cheapie” at the 2024 Inglis HTBA yearling sale in Sydney, and has returned just over $18,000 from his seven starts.

The gelding lines up for his third start for Ryan after she took blinkers off him and substituted a cross-over nose band before he made his debut for her when fourth to Escargoes in a Provincial 3YO Maiden Handicap (1100m) at Hawkesbury on May 14.

He then was narrowly beaten by Hawkesbury trainer Blake Ryan’s Smoke ‘N’ Darts in a 1300m Provincial Maiden Handicap at Kembla Grange on June 2.

“Galactic Force showed further improvement at his second start for me, and hopefully we can get a break through with him tomorrow,” Ryan said.

Market assessors are tipping Galactic Force will indeed be a force tomorrow, and give Ryan her sixth winner of the season (and career 66^th) after branching out on her own following her successful tenure as Domeland’s head trainer.

TAB.com.au this morning posted Galactic Force as a $1.95 favorite against only seven rivals.

Ryan also takes $51 outsider Truce (Reece Jones) to Hawkesbury for the St John’s Park Bowling Club Benchmark 64 Handicap (1100m).

“Whilst she has drawn poorly, she will definitely run,” Ryan said. “Truce hasn’t started since late May, and is bursting to get back to the races.”

Truce’s stablemate Phearson was an emergency for last Saturday’s Listed Civic Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick and didn’t make the field, and has been nominated for a 1500m Benchmark 88 Handicap at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

“It’s frustrating, and the Benchmark 88 is not the most suitable race either as he will get a lot of weight,” Ryan said.

“There are a couple of other Listed options; the Winter Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday week, and Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast the same day.”

Hawkesbury trainer Jason Attard didn’t hesitate to call on Dylan Gibbons to reunite with Prefer Diamonds ($12) in tomorrow’s HRC Motel Benchmark 64 Handicap (1500m).

Gibbons’ only two rides on the mare produced consecutive home track wins, both over tomorrow’s course, in September last year.

“Dylan has a good rapport with Prefer Diamonds, and I feel she is ready to run well after two runs back at Nowra and Newcastle over 1200m and 1400m, and wasn’t far away both times,” Attard said.

“I gave her a good spell to focus on this time of the year when the tracks are softer.”

Attard put a tongue tie on Prefer Diamonds at the beginning of this campaign, and believes it is achieving the desired result.

“She had a tendency to lay in last time, even when she was winning,” he explained.

“She is going straighter this time, so it appears to be working well.”

After this meeting, there are two more remaining (July 2 and 19) before the season comes to an end.

Last season’s premiership winning trainer Brad Widdup currently shares the top spot with Chris Waller (11 wins each), whilst Tommy Berry (19 wins) has bolted to a runaway lead in the jockeys’ premiership, nine ahead of closest rival Mitchell Bell.

Mollie Fitzgerald, with eight wins, leads Mitch Stapleford by three in her bid to take the apprentices’ title.

. The eight-race program begins at 12.10pm, and the rail is 2m out from the 1100m to 450m, and in the TRUE position for the remainder of the circuit. Course manager Digby Nuthall at 7.20am today posted a “Soft 5” rating. No rain has been recorded in the previous 24 hours, and a total of 4mm has fallen in the previous seven days. No irrigation has been put on the track in the same period.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, JUNE 22, 2026