RYAN CHASING STAKES BREAKTHROUGH WITH PMC FINAL WINNER

HAWKESBURY Gold Cup second favorite Matcha Latte is headed for a northern Group 1 target if he races up to trainer Sara Ryan’s expectations on Saturday.

Wyong-based Ryan says the $3m Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) – the jewel in the crown of Brisbane’s winter carnival – at Eagle Farm on June 14 is in the offing for her $1m Provincial-Midway Championships Final hero.

But first things first.

Ryan, with 54 career victories to her name (including 17 this season), wants to add her first stakes triumph to that PMC Final success along with Attractable’s $3m Big Dance (1600m) win in 2023.

Ash Morgan, unbeaten from two rides on Matcha Latte, attempts to make it three from three in the $250,000 Group 3 Richmond Club Gold Cup (1600m), and Ryan says she couldn’t be any happier with the gelding.

“I gave him a few days in the paddock after the Provincial-Midway Final, and he is in terrific order,” she said this morning.

“He is ready to go on Saturday.

“Matcha Latte has a nice cheeky weight (53.5kg), and he handles all types of tracks.

“It won’t worry him at all if the track remains in the heavy range.

“Provided he races as well as I expect he will, I’ll give him a short break and take him to Brisbane.

“Matcha Latte will get into the Stradbroke with another nice weight, and I’m sure he could be very competitive.”

Matcha Latte on Thursday morning was a $5 second favorite with TAB.com.au behind accomplished wet tracker Punch Lane ($3.70), who bolted in at Royal Randwick last Saturday and is backing up for a third consecutive week.

Because of his past serious injury history, Matcha Latte has raced only 15 times for three wins and seven placings; five of them in Group 3 races and another in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens two years ago when third to Hawkesbury Gold Cup rival Osipenko, and now has 4kg the better of weights.

Ryan has done a magnificent job to get the five-year-old back to the track, let alone in winning form, after he was all but given up as a racing proposition after suffering a serious leg injury at his first start for her when narrowly beaten in the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Randwick’s The Championships in April 2023.

She is putting all her Hawkesbury “eggs” in one basket to focus on landing the Gold Cup, as Matcha Latte will be her sole representative at the 20th anniversary Saturday stand-alone meeting.

“We had a big week last week,” she said.

Whereas Matcha Latte is definitely heading to Hawkesbury, Newcastle trainer Jason Deamer says his mare Rapt is likely to miss the Cup.

“It has come up a pretty strong race, and we might wait for The Coast at Gosford on Saturday week,” Deamer said this morning.

“The Coast is run at the same distance, is worth twice as much prizemoney ($500,000), and is restricted to three and four-year-olds.”

Rapt, unbeaten from three starts at 1600m, also was an acceptor for the Benchmark 88 Handicap (1400m) at Hawkesbury.

Deamer, however, will still have a runner at the annual meeting.

His last start Brisbane winner Jumeirah Beach lines up in the opener, the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1500m).

Apprentice Braith Nock’s 2kg claim will bring the gelding in with 55kg, 2kg less than he carried in taking a Benchmark 70 Handicap (1615m) at Doomben on April 12.

“Jumeirah Beach handled the ‘Soft 7’ really well that day, so he shouldn’t have any problems with the ground at Hawkesbury,” Deamer said.

Story John Curtis, May 1, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos