RYAN'S VERSATILITY IS JUST AWESOME
Blake Ryan fits the bill perfectly.
The experienced Hawkesbury horseman’s skills are such that he has been busy preparing 18 early two-year-olds for the Inglis Ready2Race sale on Thursday week at the Riverside complex in Sydney.
It’s as many “babies” as he has educated for the annual sale, but it hasn’t stopped his focus either on preparing his own racehorses.
The proof was in the pudding at Newcastle today when Just Awesome made it two wins on the bounce, giving another brilliant 900m display in the Benchmark 68 Handicap (900m).
Ridden by Hawkesbury apprentice Leeshelle Small, who also partnered him in an earlier 900m victory at the same track last month, Just Awesome ($2.80) was too nippy for recent Newcastle Hurricane Handicap winner Generous Harry ($1.50 favorite).
Small’s 3kg claim lessened the four-year-old’s weight to 58,5kg and, even with fellow apprentice Matt Kirk taking 4kg off the runner-up’s 65kg handicap, the result was never really in doubt once the Hawkesbury flyer took up the running.
“Once Generous Harry didn’t attempt to match strides with my bloke, I was pretty confident he would win,” Ryan said en route home.
“Just Awesome is going really well at present.
“It’s a shame Moonee Valley is out of action at present as he would be an ideal candidate for those 955m Challenge races.
“It’s going to get harder now for Just Awesome as he went up five benchmark points to 69 for his last win, and will probably go up another four points from this win.”
Ryan says Just Awesome, a son of Written Tycoon, takes time to get fit.
“He can time on the track so easily that he has needed a jumpout, a couple of trials and a race to really bring him to peak fitness,” he explained.
“Just Awesome ran fifth first-up over 1000m at Warwick Farm in mid-August, and then went bang at his next two starts at Newcastle.
“He is putting together a tidy record with four wins from nine starts.”
As for Ryan, he is also pretty happy how things are going in the early part of the season.
“I’ve had 14 runners for four winners, so onwards and upwards for the remainder of the season.”
Ryan has his five-times winning mare Lady Extreme ready to resume at the weekend, but isn’t sure whether it will be Rosehill Gardens or Caulfield.
He nominated her for the Group 3 The Nivison (1100m) for mares in Sydney, and Group 3 Northwood Plume Stakes (1200m), also against mares, in Melbourne.
“It’s weather dependent where Lady Extreme runs,” Ryan said.
“I will talk with her owner Luke Wilkinson in the morning to discuss whether we accept in both places.
“Jay Ford will ride Lady Extreme if she stays here, and I will leave it to Luke to sort a rider if she goes south.
“Lady Extreme is seven years of age now, so I can’t say there is any more upside.
“But it would be nice to get a stakes placing with her at least, if not another win.”
