RYAN'S CHANGES DID THE TRICK

FRIDAY: July 10, 2026: BLAKE Ryan was straight to the point.

“If you do the same thing and expect a different result, you’re a mug,” was the Hawkesbury horseman’s blunt comment in relation to Serinda, a filly with a Group 1 pedigree who has recently joined his stable, and was a Gosford winner yesterday.

“I haven’t got another horse who can keep up with her in her work, and I thought she could win at Gosford last month at her first start for me,” Ryan said today.

“But she disappointed when last in a field of eight, and I had to try something different.”

Ryan went back and studied the three-year-old filly’s family pedigree; Serinda is a daughter of Group 1 winners Brutal (2019 Doncaster Mile at Royal Randwick) and Absolut Glam (2008 Winter Stakes, now Tatts Tiara, at Eagle Farm).

He decided to put visors (blinkers but with slits allowing some peripheral vision) on along with a tongue tie rather than a tongue control and lugging bit.

It was quite a change but it worked.

Ridden by Ryan’s good mate Jay Ford, Serinda ($8.50) never gave her rivals a look in at The Entertainment Grounds’ annual Family Of League raceday, giving the trainer his 11^th win of the season.

Serinda held a sizeable lead at one stage and was never seriously threatened in the Neville Glover-Parramatta Leagues Club Midway Class 1 Handicap (1200m), defeating Iron Fury ($2.80) and Gaelic Gem ($5.50).

“We always planned to lead even though she had never done that before,” Ryan said.

“Whilst you couldn’t be confident about her turning things around, it was great to see her do it as she is off to stud in the new season.

“Serinda showed a bit of promise earlier (she won an 1100m Bendigo Maiden Plate in September last year at her second start), and her Melbourne trainer Danny O’Brien suggested she be transferred to me to see if we could win another race with her.

“Danny had previously sent Baby Hazel to me last year and, although we didn’t win with her, she was placed at three or her five starts.”

Understandably given her pedigree, Serinda realised $250,000 at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling sale.

“She is going back to Victoria to begin her stud career, but we’ll try to win another race with her beforehand,” Ryan said.

Ryan prepares the filly for a syndicate headed by Melbourne owner Luke Wilkinson, for whom he also trains five-times (four in town) winner Lady Extreme.

“Lady Extreme is back in the stable, and I’ve also got Queen Regent back,” Ryan said.

Two-year-old filly Queen Regent went for a break after winning the Listed Woodlands Stakes (1100m) at the Scone carnival on May 16 at $151.