'He's a big horse': Ryan sets sights on post-champs afterglow

The former talented jockey said racing drops back a few notches after a successful autumn carnival in Sydney.

"The Championships were an outstanding success," Ryan told ACM Racing. "All the top horses and jockeys were at the championships. It was keen racing and there were some outstanding performances and none better than Pride Of Jenni's win in the Queen Elizabeth.

"I thought it was amazing to see Pride Of Jenni's victory against top grade Group One performers. Saturday's Rosehill meeting doesn't look easy on paper. We've got our fingers crossed some of the results might go our way."

Ryan, who has 75 horses in work at Rosehill and trains in partnership with Sterling Alexiou, accepted with five runners Diddle Dumbling, Green Shadows, Let's Try, Eagle Nest and Grebeni for Saturday's meeting but they may have four starters.

Diddle Dumbling has drawn barrier 14 in a $160,000 two-year-old race and she may be saved for a mid-week race at Canterbury Park on Wednesday.

"I would say we'll probably scratch Diddle Dumbling on Saturday," Ryan said. "Diddle Dumbling has drawn a wide barrier and even with a scratching or two it's tough to win races from out that wide from the 1100 metres start at Rosehill.

"We've got a good opinion of Diddle Dumbling. Her last two runs have been in Group Two contests which is a lot tougher than what we're looking at running her in now. There looks to be a nice maiden race for Diddle Dumpling at Canterbury Park on Wednesday and I would say we'll head down that path."

Lightly raced galloper Green Shadows lines up in a $160,000 benchmark race and Ryan rates the four-year-old his best winning chance.

"I would say Green Shadows is our best hope at Rosehill," he said. "I was very happy with his first-up win at Warwick Farm earlier this month.

"Green Shadows has trained on well following that win. He's got very good second up form which should stand us in good stead for Saturday. He"s always shown a bit of ability but he's come back into work a more mature horse both mentally and physically.

"I think he's in line for a really good campaign. I'm quietly confident he'll run a strong 1600 metres we might try that by the end of this preparation."

Green Shadows, who is a $5.50 chance with Bet365 in the early betting markets will be ridden by underrated jockey Josh Parr in the 1500 metre contest.

Let's Try makes his city debut with former international jockey Brandon Lerena in the saddle for the Ryan-Alexiou stable in a $160,000 on the back of excellent provincial form.

"We've just taken our time to get Let's Try to town," Ryan said. "We've just quietly taken him through his classes. He's been ultra-consistent and I reckon we've got him in the right metropolitan race on Saturday.

"The 1200 metres is right up his alley. He's a big horse and he's another one we've just given time to mature. Brandon rides Let's Try again on Saturday. He's got a sensational record on Let's Try. Brandon has been on board for his three wins and rides him in all his trackwork.

"It would be a wonderful result if Let's Try could win for Brandon. I think from his last 50 rides Brandon has rode 13 winners and nine of them have been for us. We've got our fingers crossed his winning streak continues at Rosehill on Let's Try."

Bet365 rate Let's Try as the $3.90 favourite to win his first city race.

Grebeni resumes in a $160,000 race over 1500 metres and Ryan said he's facing a battle against time to have the four-year-old ready for his target race the Scone Cup.

"We missed a run last week with Grebeni and that has thrown us out a bit," Ryan said. "We were originally looking at running him in the Gosford and Scone Cups but the Gosford Cup which is run next week looks out of the question. We'll push forward to the Scone Cup on May 17 but it all depends how well he runs on Saturday."

Ryan said the form around his other runner Eagle Nest is better then it looks on paper.

Group One racing heads to Adelaide on Saturday. The $1 million Australasian Oaks and the $1 million Sangster Stakes are the features.

Top jockeys James McDonald, Blake Shinn, Mark Zahra, Craig Williams, Damian Lane and Jamie Kah are all riding on the opening day of the Adelaide carnival while champion trainers Chris Waller, Ciaron Maher, James Cummings and Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have runners.

The three week carnival continues next Saturday with the running of the $1 million South Australian Derby and concludes with the $1 million Goodwood Handicap on May 11.