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Courier-Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
'Coming up good': Exciting prospects for Ryan's spring colts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Trainer Gerald Ryan is excited by the potential of his stable's three-year-old arsenal with Blitzburg and Skyhook set to get first opportunity to stake their spring claims in Saturday's Listed $200,000 Rosebud (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens. Ryan and co-trainer Sterling Alexiou are hoping several of their talented two-year-old contingent can make a positive transition into their three-year-old season with spring less than four weeks away. Pro Tips View All Aaron Mills - Last 28 Days Profit Profit 0 * ROI 0 Strike Rate 0 Units Tipped 0 Avg. Winner Odds 0 PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Group 3 winners Blitzburg and Skyhook are poised to make their return on home turf while King of Pop and Grand Eagle are down to trial at Rosehill Gardens on Tuesday. Group 3 Black Opal Stakes victor King Of Pop is in a 900m heat with two-time winner Grand Eagle also down to trial over 900m. 'Those two-year-olds that raced well in the autumn, those four colts are coming up good,' Ryan said. 'We have a couple of fillies that haven't raced that we have a bit of time for too. 'Blitzburg for certain will go to the Rosebud and we will decide on Skyhook after Tuesday morning. Skyhook winning the Pago Pago Stakes in March. Photo:. 'King Of Pop will wait and go to the San Domenico and Grand Eagle will probably start off in a Benchmark race and go to the Ming Dynasty.' Blitzburg's two-year-old season was reduced to four starts but the son of Snitzel made a strong impression, winning the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) on February 1. The talented colt had has had a long and steady build up for his return and was a winner of his most recent trial over 900m on July 29. 'Blitzburg has been in work a long time,' Ryan said. 'He had a small chip taken out of the bottom of his front joint after he won the Canonbury and that's why we had to stop with him. 'He went out in February and was back in work in the first week of April, on the water walker.' Recent Sydney Saturday winner Nashville Jack is expected to be among the nominations for the Rosebud while West Of Swindon could be in line to make his debut for new trainer Ciaron Maher. The Rosebud will now be the first stakes race of the new season in Sydney after the decision was made not to reschedule Saturday's Group 2 $300,000 Missile Stakes when the meeting was abandoned due to wet weather. The Premier's Cup Prelude over 1800m has been moved to Wednesday's Randwick Kensington card. Originally published as Trainer Gerald Ryan rates spring colt as Blitzburg and Skyhook prepare for returns
Sydney Morning Herald
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Ryan filly facing heavy track challenge at Randwick after setback
'She's gone six weeks now between runs,' he said. 'She was scratched on Wednesday, but it's got to the stage that she has to run.' Sequista, a $100,000 daughter of D'Argento, is part of Ryan-Alexiou's deep two-year-old ranks, which includes winners Blitzburg (Canonbury Stakes), King Of Pop (Black Opal Stakes), Skyhook (Pago Pago Stakes) and Grand Eagle. She is a $3.80 second elect with Sportsbet on Saturday with leading apprentice Braith Nock taking two kilograms off. He said there were no targets in mind past Saturday for Sequista. Ryan was more confident about the prospects of his other runner on the card, including First Mission, which is a $4 favourite in the 1400m Midway Handicap with apprentice Zac Wadick claiming two kilograms. The three-year-old Snitzel gelding, a $725,000 yearling buy, won his most recent start on a heavy 8 at Canterbury. 'He seems to get through it,' he said. 'He's not a big, strong, heavy horse that might struggle in heavy ground. He's a light, athletic, nifty horse who gives the impression he handles it. 'The wet tracks he's been on so far, he's performed well on. Every heavy track is different, but he's handled soft at Hawkesbury and Warwick Farm, and he handled heavy at Canterbury. 'He's a nice horse; he's got good ability.' As for the Queensland winter carnival, Ryan said recently gelded three-year-old Just Party would fly the stable's flag. Loading 'He'll go up and run in the Fred Best Classic on Saturday week,' he said. 'He's come back good, and he ran well first up. He'll race there then probably go to a race at Eagle Farm a couple of weeks later, then he might go to the Winx Guineas.'
The Age
22-05-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Ryan filly facing heavy track challenge at Randwick after setback
'She's gone six weeks now between runs,' he said. 'She was scratched on Wednesday, but it's got to the stage that she has to run.' Sequista, a $100,000 daughter of D'Argento, is part of Ryan-Alexiou's deep two-year-old ranks, which includes winners Blitzburg (Canonbury Stakes), King Of Pop (Black Opal Stakes), Skyhook (Pago Pago Stakes) and Grand Eagle. She is a $3.80 second elect with Sportsbet on Saturday with leading apprentice Braith Nock taking two kilograms off. He said there were no targets in mind past Saturday for Sequista. Ryan was more confident about the prospects of his other runner on the card, including First Mission, which is a $4 favourite in the 1400m Midway Handicap with apprentice Zac Wadick claiming two kilograms. The three-year-old Snitzel gelding, a $725,000 yearling buy, won his most recent start on a heavy 8 at Canterbury. 'He seems to get through it,' he said. 'He's not a big, strong, heavy horse that might struggle in heavy ground. He's a light, athletic, nifty horse who gives the impression he handles it. 'The wet tracks he's been on so far, he's performed well on. Every heavy track is different, but he's handled soft at Hawkesbury and Warwick Farm, and he handled heavy at Canterbury. 'He's a nice horse; he's got good ability.' As for the Queensland winter carnival, Ryan said recently gelded three-year-old Just Party would fly the stable's flag. Loading 'He'll go up and run in the Fred Best Classic on Saturday week,' he said. 'He's come back good, and he ran well first up. He'll race there then probably go to a race at Eagle Farm a couple of weeks later, then he might go to the Winx Guineas.'
