Bathurst trainer Andrew Ryan will take on the Dubbo Cup and Sprint Preludes on Sunday, but he conceded that both races were ‘stepping stones’ for promising gallopers Possibly So and Life Well Lived.
Contesting the Vincent Gordon Flying Handicap Cup Sprint Prelude (1118m) will be Possibly So, with the five-year-old to be ridden by Tony Cavallo when first-up from a lengthy spell.
The Star Witness gelding is a three-time winner.
In February, he finished an impressive second to the Mack Griffith-trained Amicus Curiae in the Central Districts Racing Association Country Championships qualifier at Mudgee.
Although he didn’t run in the final, Ryan has a reasonable opinion of Possibly So but suggested the Sprint Prelude at Dubbo was merely a starting point.
“We’ve got a fair bit of time for the horse,” Ryan said.
“As far as how he will go on Sunday, he’ll need the run, and they’ll go too quick for him, but he’ll be getting home.
“He tends to be a bit tardy out of the gates and doesn’t gather his speed too quickly, but we’ll be looking for him to hit the line strongly.
“I think he will be looking for 1600 or 2000m, and hopefully, we can get him up those distances this time in.”
Life Well Lived looks well placed in the Dubbo Gold Cup Prelude (1418 Metres), but Ryan hesitated to tip the three-time winner.
The Vancouver gelding raced well for connections with wins at Dubbo (x 2) and Mudgee in 2022 before a good sixth in a Highway Handicap at Royal Randwick in August of last year, but he needed time off after undergoing surgery.
“He was going great, but it was just one of those things, and we couldn’t go on with him,” Ryan said.
“He had breathing issues, and one specialist told us he was restricted to 20%, so we got him operated on him, and we’re not getting too far ahead of ourselves.
“With those surgeries, you never know if they are going to hold up and if horses are back to their old selves until they show it, and Sunday will tell us a lot.
“If he were to come back to his best and were up to it, he’d be a chance, but I don’t like to lead anyone up the wrong path, and until he shows me, I’ll stay a bit reserved.”
A good judge of a horse and an excellent trainer, it’s probably a good idea to listen to Ryan, who spent his formative years working with and learning from his farmer and respected trainer, the late Don Ryan, who sadly passed away in 2021.
“Once I left school, I worked with Dad,” Ryan explained.
“He had the licence, and I was foreman, and a few years back, we took out a dual licence and did that for four or five years, and that was great.
“I was just happy I could be with him, work and train with him, and looking back on it, I’ve been pretty lucky.”
These days, Andrew Ryan only has a small team in work, but it’s a team effort, with his brothers Stephen and Bernard still heavily involved.
“We usually have about six in work; it’s not a big stable, and just a family thing,” Ryan said.
“We’ve got two girls that ride slow work, and Tony will come out for a day or two a week; we have Ash Stanley and Eleanor Webster-Hawes, so it works out well.”
Ryan and his team will focus on a big day at Dubbo, and for more on the eight-race card and off-track entertainment, click here.
For fields, click here.
Dubbo tips 13/8/23
Race 1: Keikoku (3) – $7.50
Race 2: Oneofthesenights (10) – $3.60
Race 3: To Ya Got (1) – $2.10
Race 4: Hardly The End (4) – $3.90
Race 5: Jarmanagic (12) – $31 or Pyramid Of Fire (6) – $6.50
Race 6: Boom Boom Basil (5) – $5
Race 7: Superabundant (3) – $7
Race 8: Epic Poem (1) – $4.80
