Earlier in his career, talented So You Think gelding Think It Over was tried as a long distance stayer, but kept to shorter journeys this preparation by astute trainer Kerry Parker Think It Over has soared to new heights winning the Group I ATC George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
A brilliant first up winner of the Group III ATC Liverpool City Cup (1300m), Think It Over followed up with a good second in the Group II ATC Ajax Stakes (1500m) giving connections reason to believe the Group I ATC Doncaster Handicap next month might be an achievable goal.
Taking on weight-for-age company in the Ryder Stakes, Think It Over carried 59kg so was expected to run well without winning, but made a lie of that assumption scoring a long head win over last year’s winner Dreamforce.
"Coming into today I just thought, I need him to run well and if he's a couple of lengths from them I'll be thrilled, taking seven kilos off him into the Doncaster," Parker said.
"To win it, sensational. He's just been a great ride, this bloke. To watch him mature and turn into the racehorse he is has been pleasurable for the whole team."
Think It Over has just 52kg under the handicap conditions of the Doncaster and winning rider Glen Boss will be sticking with him.
"He's going to put himself right into contention because that's the kind of horse you need to win a Doncaster, he's very strong at the end of a trip," Boss said.
A homebred for Bylong Park, Think It Over started his career with John Sargent, but has blossomed with maturity and now has the overall record of six wins and nine placings from 23 starts with prizemoney in excess of $1.3million.
Think It Over is the best of four winners from well bred unraced Zabeel mare Personal Service, a half-sister to Group I winners Universal Prince and Universal Queen as well as the dam of recent Group I ATC Coolmore Classic winner Krone.
It’s always been a top class family, but producing two new Group I winners in the past two weeks will have anyone that owns a mare from the Biscay Bird family feeling a little bit excited!
Personal Service has a yearling colt by Exosphere.
Think It Over is the seventh Group I winner for Coolmore based So You Think, who was Australia’s busiest sire in 2020 covering 261 mares at a fee of $38,500.
The former champion racehorse and now leading sire has 17 entries for Inglis Easter.
