RYAN WANTS “BETTER TRACK” FOR DUAL ACCEPTOR

WYONG trainer Sara Ryan is on “weather watch” with her dual venue acceptor How Much Better.

Ryan has the consistent four-year-old in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1300m) at Rosehill Gardens, and Conditional Benchmark 68 Handicap (1400m) at Newcastle.

“I’ll wait until the morning and make a decision before the 7.30am scratching deadline,” she said this morning.

“I’m looking for the better track for him.

“Whilst How Much Better has been placed on soft ground, both his wins have been on good tracks.

“More rain is forecast for Newcastle than at Rosehill.”

Wyong apprentice Anna Roper is booked for How Much Better if he races in town, and Grant Buckley has the Newcastle mount.

Ryan, chasing her 21st winner of the season, will be seeking a city breakthrough with How Much Better if she decides on a Rosehill assignment.

The All Too Hard gelding was in brilliant form last preparation, never finishing further back than second in five starts.

How Much Better won a Class 1 Handicap (1625m) at home on New Year’s Eve, and was runner-up twice at both Newcastle and Kembla Grange.

Ryan, who will continue to train for Domeland for the remainder of the season before branching out as a public trainer, has announced the retirement of her 2023 $3m Big Dance winner Attractable.

“Attractable just doesn’t want to do it any more, and retires a sound and happy horse,” she said.

“He is going to a good home, being looked after by my assistant trainer Sammy Harris,” she said.

“Sammy loves him, and was his strapper when he won The Big Dance (1600m).”

The I Am Invincible six-year-old retires as the winner of eight races and earnings of just over $2.5m.

Ryan did a superb job with him winning four races, also including the Coffs Harbour Cup (1600m) three months before his Big Dance triumph.

After winning the Big Dance, Attractable was narrowly beaten by Newcastle’s Loch Eagle in the $2m The Ingham, again over the Randwick ‘mile”.

Meanwhile, versatile Hawkesbury horseman Peter Green is hoping to win his first race in town as a trainer in How Much Better’s Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap at Rosehill tomorrow.

And he’s sticking with the “girls”, booking Winona Costin for the mount on last start impressive Goulburn winner Killer Kerr (a daughter of Shooting To Win and named after Matildas soccer star Sam Kerr).

Female jockeys have ridden the mare in her three wins.

“Grant Buckley rode Killer Kerr in six of her first eight starts, and was placed five times on her,” Green, who also drives standardbreds, said today.

“Robyn Freeman then won twice on her at Nowra in late 2023 and early last year.

“Grant rode Killer Kerr again earlier this year at Hawkesbury, and got off and suggested I should go back to putting the ladies on her.

“Louise Day has been her rider at her last two runs at Goulburn for a close second on May 30, and again on June 13 when she carried 60.5kg and came from well back to win easily.

“Killer Kerr has done well since, and with Louise committed to a number of rides at Newcastle tomorrow, Winona takes over and has ridden her in work.

“I don’t think this is the strongest Midway and Killer Kerr drops 8.5kg, so why not have a crack?”

Story John Curtis, June 27, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos