BLAKE Ryan missed his breakthrough Sydney Saturday winner when Momack scored at Rosehill Gardens on May 21, 2022.
The Hawkesbury trainer was nearly 350km away saddling two debut runners at Dubbo for the Silver Goblet 2YO Preview when the now Queensland-trained gelding won a Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1400m) at $15.
Whilst it was a special moment albeit watching from afar on his phone, he will definitely be on track at Royal Randwick on Saturday to saddle Lady Extreme for another Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap, this time at 1200m.
And another Saturday city victory in town would be a great thrill, considering he wasn’t even supposed to be training the now five-year-old mare.
“Luke Wilkinson bred Lady Extreme and sold her for $275,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions yearling sale at the Gold Coast,” Ryan explained on Thursday morning.
“But she never got to race, and Luke bought out his fellow owners online in March last year for $27,500.
“Luke and myself are good mates, and he rang me to ask if I had a spare box before the float picked her up to go to Victoria.
“I think he was planning to breed with her.
“She was here for a few days and he called me back on the morning she was due to leave that afternoon, and asked if I wanted to have a crack training her.
“Of course I said yes and we got her going but she went shin sore.”
Ryan had seen enough of Lady Extreme in work to recommend to Wilkinson to give her another preparation after a spell – and his advice was right on the ball.
Lady Extreme won her first start at Gosford 12 months ago in a Maiden Plate (1000m), and has kept progressing.
From only five subsequent starts, she has won again (at a midweek Canterbury meeting in July) and has been placed three times.
“Lady Extreme has done a terrific job and is ready to go town for the first time on a Saturday,” Ryan said.
“She was just caught first-up at a Canterbury Friday night meeting on November 29 by Queen Of The Mile (placed in Wednesday’s Magic Millions 3 & 4YO Stakes, 1200m at Wyong), and has trained on well.
“I’m really happy with her. Jay Ford rides her again, and she should get a nice run.
“Lady Extreme’s younger brother (Guardsman) sold for $1.6m at the Magic Millions yearling sale at the Gold Coast earlier this year.”
Ryan is in for a busy weekend, also saddling Heaven Bound (Benchmark 72 Handicap, 1900m) at Canterbury on Friday night and Roman Script (Midway Maiden Plate, 1000m) at his home track meeting on Sunday.
Additionally, he has also sent Kote north for what most likely will be his final start for him at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Kote, who won the Thunder Thousand (900m) at Gosford’s Saturday The Coast meeting held at Newcastle in May, is topweight with 61.5kg for a Benchmark 78 Handicap (1000m), and Damien Thornton takes the mount.
“Kote has been racing okay in Sydney, but finding it hard to break through,” Ryan said.
“I feel he is better placed in Brisbane now at this stage of his career, and recommended to his owner that he stay there after Saturday’s race.”
Ryan has decided to take pacifiers off Kote, and won’t mind at all if Brisbane gets more rain as the gelding has won three times on heavy ground.
Kote will be Ryan’s first Brisbane representative, but not his debut metropolitan starter in Queensland.
Etheridge ran sixth in the Magic Millions Trophy (2400m) at the Gold Coast in January 2022, and he is now breeding with her and will offer her first foal, a Cosmic Force colt, at the Inglis Classic yearling sale in February.
Story John Curtis, December 12, 2024 - Pics Bradley Photos
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