AFTER Ryan’s Daughter scored an incredible first-up win in Hobart in a class two handicap over 1100m just over two weeks ago, her trainer Troy Backer started talking about winning Group sprint races with the daughter of Holy Roman Emperor.
Last season Ryan’s Daughter won the Thousand Guineas (1600m) and she went on to be competitive in the Strutt Stakes and the Tasmanian Oaks both over 2100 metres.
But Blacker is adamant Ryan’s Daughter is better suited to 1200m and 1400m assignments which is why he plans to target the Group 3 Bow Mistress (1200m) and Group 3 Vamos Stakes (1400m) during the Tasmanian Summer Racing Carnival.
At the UBET Racing Centre in Launceston tonight Ryan’s Daughter will tackle a Benchmark 72 handicap over 1200 metres.
While she is racing out of her class the four-year-old mare will only be carrying 54.5 kilograms courtesy of a two-kilogram claim for apprentice Kyle Maskiell who partnered her to victory in Hobart recently.
There are more seasoned gallopers in this field but if Ryan’s Daughter can produce the scintillating finish that she did to win in Hobart then she will remain unbeaten this time in.
Her sectionals in Hobart were amazing and it has been a while since any horse has rattled off sectionals quicker than she did over the final 600 metres and in particular the last 200m.
Frolicked looms as the main danger given she comes off a very creditable fourth at Moonee Valley (1200m) at the end of last month in a benchmark 82 handicap for team McCulloch-Keating.
Wonzzee is a speed machine and she should be ready to show up at her third run back from a spell, while last season’s top two-year-old Gee Gees Top Notch makes her return to racing and must rate highly given her effortless trial win recently.
By Peter Staples.