IT'S THE BUSH INSTEAD FOR RYAN DEBUTANTE

WEDNESDAY: November 26, 2025: A wide barrier has skittled Blake Ryan’s hopes of producing recent acquisition Silk Lace for her debut at home tomorrow.

The Hawkesbury trainer this morning put a hold on the three-year-old filly beginning her career in the Irresistible Pools & Spas Provincial Maiden Plate (1100m) when she drew the outside barrier in a field of 11.

“No point asking her to try to win her first start from that draw,” Ryan said.

“She is only small, and we’ll wait for the Queanbeyan Cup meeting on Friday, and see how she draws in a 1000m Maiden Plate.”

That now shapes as a definite alternative after she went from the outside at home to the inside at Queanbeyan in a field of 12 plus two emergencies.

Prior to Ryan’s announcement, Silk Lace was a $3.80 favorite with TAB.com.au.

The daughter of lightly-raced 2017 Rosehill Gardens Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes winner Gold Standard (a son of Golden Slipper winner Sebring) was a $2250 purchase online in September last year before being onsold online late last month for $35,000.

Silk Lace was put on the market after a 900m Scone trial win on October 13 for Tamworth trainer Melissa Dennett.

Having joined Ryan’s team, the filly won another trial (800m) at Hawkesbury on November 17.

Winona Costin partnered her then, and will have the mount at Queanbeyan.

Not surprisingly, Ryan’s home track has been his most successful. Nine of his 46 career victories have been achieved there.

And whilst Silk Lace won’t get the chance of taking her trainer’s tally to double figures, Ryan still has a couple of “girls” he considers can race well in the Pioneer Services F&M Benchmark 64 Handicap (1100m) tomorrow.

Tim Clark rides another Ryan newcomer Baby Hazel, and stable apprentice Emma Ly has the mount on Missie Lee.

“Baby Hazel came from Victoria where she won two (at Benalla and Bendigo earlier this year) of her 11 starts,” Ryan said.

“Obviously going the reverse way is a query, but I don’t feel she is a $31 chance.

“You know what you get with Missie Lee ($17). She tries her heart out every time, and has been placed at the provincials at her last two starts.”

Hawkesbury also has been a good source of winners for Group 1 winning Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle, who tallies 23 there (second only at the provincials to his home track).

He takes three horses – Tetsu Belle, Just Response and Iron Fury - to tomorrow’s meeting, looking to add to that number.

Doyle’s most successful jockey Ash Morgan (65 winners for him) rides Tetsu Belle (Provincial Maiden Plate, 1100m) and Just Response (Elite Sand & Soil Class 1 Handicap, 1300m), whilst stable apprentice Shannen Llewellyn partners Iron Fury in the Clarendon Tavern CG&E Benchmark 64 Handicap (1100m).

“Just Response is our best chance at the meeting,” Doyle’s racing manager David Dyson said this morning.

“He had raced only three times and stepped up from being beaten first-up at Scone by a good horse (Regal Problem, who has since won again) by breaking through in a Maiden Plate (1200m) at Gosford on November 11.

“Just Response was dominant that day, has a high cruising speed and from the rails draw at Hawkesbury should be hard to beat again

“Tetsu Belle joined our team after three unplaced runs in Victoria, and has had two nice trials for Nathan (won on the Beaumont track last month and then second at Wyong a fortnight ago).

“You can never be sure how they will handle the reverse way first time, but it didn’t appear to be an issue in her recent trials.”

With Silk Lace’s abduction, Tetsu Belle is now a $4.20 third favorite for the Provincial Maiden.

Doyle’s other runner Iron Fury will race in a tongue tie.

“Iron Fury (another ex-Victorian) was runner-up on the Beaumont track when resuming, and then it was a messy race when fourth with a big weight at Port Macquarie,” Dyson said.

“He is coming back to provincial grade, but there wasn’t another suitable race and he has drawn an inside gate and isn’t without a chance.”

. The rail is 2m out from the 1100m to 450m, and in the TRUE position for the remainder of the circuit. Course manager Digby Nuthall at 7.30 this morning posted a “Soft 5” rating, with an upgrade certainly on the cards given the warm weather, for the seven-race card which begins at 1.50pm.

Hawkesbury recorded 10mm of rain in the past seven days, but nothing in the preceding 24 hours. A total of 20mm of irrigation has been put on the track in the last week, including 3mm in the previous 24 hours.