George Ryder Stakes preview
Three Group One’s highlight Rosehill Guineas day this Saturday – day two of the Sydney Autumn Carnival – with the Rosehill Guineas (over 2000m), The Galaxy Stakes (1100m) and the George Ryder Stakes, a Weight-For-Age event over 1500m.
Recent winners of the George Ryder include Pierro, Metal Bender, Rangirangdo, Danleigh and Vision and Power. The latter won it on a heavy track back in 2009 and with the rain hitting Sydney over the past few days, it could see similar conditions come Saturday.
Two horses that will hope for the rain to continue are Sacred Falls and Red Tracer, both for Chris Waller who saddles up four in the race. Sacred Falls won the Group One Doncaster last autumn on a bog track when defeating Pierro and his first-up run was encouraging. Red Tracer is eight from ten on anything slow or heavy but her overall record of 15 wins and 13 placings from 34 starts is one of a top class horse all the same. She bungled the start at her last run and Michael Rodd is on board. Boban, who wears the number one saddle cloth and is a last-start Group One winner, and My Kingdom of Fife – who is second-up after a long break – make up Waller’s quartet.
Peter Moody takes Fat Al and Lidari into the Ryder both off last start wins, as does Joe Pride with Terravista who along with Boban, are the only other runners to come into the George Ryder off a victory. Terravista held off El Roca in the Group Three Liverpool City Cup at his last start, while El Roca is one of only two three-year-olds in the race. The other being Eurozone for Bart and James Cummings – who might also enjoy some sting out of the ground.
Guy Walter retired his star mare Appearance during the week due to injury but continues on his Doncaster path with Toydini and Streama who are drawn next to each other in barriers four and three respectively. Gai Waterhouse takes Tres Blue into the race who resumes first-up from a spell and this will be his second career start for the ‘lady trainer’. His first start for Waterhouse was back in the spring and it ended in a distant 22nd in the Melbourne Cup but by all reports the colt is working well on the training track.
Ninth Legion won the Villiers Stakes at his last prep and Team Hawkes come off a trio of wins last Saturday, Speediness has been there and thereabouts in his past two campaigns at the top level while Gordon Lord Byron is one of a couple of internationals who have made their way ‘Down Under’ to be part of the Sydney Autumn Carnival.
Chris Waller will be hoping to collect his fourth George Ryder Stakes in five years, and he has four good chances to help his cause.