In Brief
- Sh'Bourne Renegade aiming for four wins on the trot.
- Look to the Future a potential Derby horse.
- Melbourne campaign on hold for Still A Star.
It took nine starts for Sh’Bourne Renegade to win a maiden but on Sunday in Devonport the four-year-old gelding will aim to notch his fourth career win, all in succession.
The Bill Ryan-trained galloper will step out in the opening event of the program a Benchmark 66 Handicap over 1880m that will see half the field face each other for the second start running.
The Longford-based trainer says it took a while for the horse to know what the racing caper was all about.
“He was a bit of a frustrating horse early, mentally he’s one of the slowest horses I’ve ever trained,” said Ryan candidly.
The emerging stayer’s winning streak has come at all three main Tasmanian racetracks, Launceston, Hobart and most recently Devonport.
Sunday will see Sh’Bourne Renegade tested out past 1650m for the first time, something Ryan has been looking forward to seeing.
“He’s always given the indication the further the better for him, so I’ve been waiting to step him out over a bit of ground.”
Look to the Future (Brendon McCoull) wins his maiden in Devonport on 2 August.
Sh’Bourne Renegade isn’t the only last start winner Ryan will be taking to Devonport with three-year-old gelding Look to the Future taking on older horses in the RJ Print & Signs Maiden/Class 1 (1650m).
After two placings to start his career in Hobart, Ryan says the horse appreciated getting to the synthetic track last start.
“He raced a lot truer at Devonport, still run a bit green though, he’s a bit of a slow learner but he’s getting there and I’m hoping he might make a Derby horse,” said the trainer referring to the Listed 2200m feature in February 2020.
“His form is a lot better than Sh’Bourne Renegade’s was at the same stage,” added Ryan who secured the bargain buy for just $3,000.
The last of Bill Ryan’s runners on Sunday, all of which will be ridden by the in-form Brendon McCoull, is Sheorta a horse that has been a source of frustration for the trainer.
“She’s a funny one. It’s too hard, too soft, too short, too long. You never know who you are taking to the races with her,” Ryan said on the five-year-old mare who ran an improved race last time in Devonport after a pair of disappointing Hobart runs.
Still A Star
Saturday’s P.B Lawrence meeting at Caulfield was to be the kick-off point for last season’s multiple black type winner Still A Star, but Ryan advised that her campaign is unfortunately on hold due to a lung infection.
“Because she was going to Melbourne, I started pulling bloods on her about a month ago, doing a blood every week.
“After her trial at Devonport her white cell blood count had gone right up like it did before I pulled her out of the Derby,” said Ryan referring to the scratching of Still A Star from the $150,000 feature earlier in the year.
“She’s got a nasty lung infection, so she won’t be going anywhere in a hurry.
“It’s devastating but we’ll look after the horse and worry about the races later.”
Watch the replay of Sh’Bourne Renegade winning over 1650m last start.