Classy colt returns from illness

Tom Baddock - Thursday August 3

Gerald Ryan is set to resume a stakes-performed colt at Randwick on Saturday which has been off the scene for almost a year.

Advertisement
Tango Rain. Photo: Steve Hart

Tango Rain is set to begin his spring campaign in the TAB.com.au Benchmark 80 Handicap (1000m) after a recent trial win at Rosehill.

The son of Manhattan Rain has not raced since finishing sixth in the Heritage Stakes last September.

However, the colt was trialled twice during January in preparation for an autumn carnival assault.

"In the form guide it probably looks like he has been out for a very long time but he was up, fit and flying in February," Ryan said.

"He had two trials and was ready to race and he got a virus, so we stopped him, turned him out and started again with him."

The four-year-old finished runner-up in the Group III San Domenico Stakes behind subsequent Group I performer Star Turn and Ryan is hopeful that he can return in the same vein of form.

"He's got good talent," Ryan said.

"I always thought he was a stakes horse so we just have to see if he can come back and find his right form.

"He's going really well. He's a gross horse, he's not overly big but he's a very solid horse. He carries a bit of weight but he's going good.

"He'll run well on Saturday in that class and will improve off it."

Ryan aims to take it step by step with the colt but will be setting his sights on black-type races in the near future.

"We'll just try and get his rating up so he can get into some of those off the top sprint races," he said.

Ryan will also resume Australian Derby runner-up Harper's Choice in the Group II Missile Stakes (1200m).

Harper's Choice (Left, red cap) finishing second to Jon Snow in the 2017 Australian Derby. Photo: Steve Hart

"The 1200m is a nice race to start him off in, a bit of pressure up front and not a huge field," Ryan said.

"We'll give him this run and then a 1400m in a couple of weeks time and then we'll decide whether we'll just keep him to the mile races or get him out to 2000m and a bit further later on."

Although Group I placed over 2400m Ryan is not convinced the son of Street Cry is a true stayer and has begun his campaign early to get a guide on what races to target in the spring.

"He might be a miler on the back of a fast pace," Ryan said.

"At home you work him steady, he can go home and run his last 400m as quick as anything but you haven't seen it raceday because in those mile and a quarter races we were riding him up on the pace because there was no speed in the race.

"I'd just like to see him ridden quiet and see if he can have that turn of foot in a race that he shows at trackwork."

Tango Rain is the $3 favourite with Luxbet for Saturday's TAB.com.au Benchmark 80 Handicap (1000m) while Harper's Choice is $34 with Bet365 in the Group II Missile Stakes.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Japanese Bred Filly Wins At Eagle Farm
Could trainer Kris Lees have the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) on his mind after his three-year-old, northern hemisphere bred filly Eclair Encore (Jpn) recorded a strong victory over 1800m at Eagle Farm.
French Derby Contender for Godolphin
The Godolphin winning run continued in France overnight with a French Derby contender emerging in the shape of progressive Lope de Vega colt Cualificar, who is out of Fastnet Rock’s Group I Epsom Oaks winner Qualify.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday May 7
Here is the full list of 44 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Million Dollar Goal for I Am Invincible Filly
Tony and Calvin McEvoy landed a lucrative victory in the $1million Magic Millions National 2YO Classic in May last year with Arabian Summer and are hopeful they have another filly that can do the job this year in Sisstainable.
First Win for Sword of State Half-Sister
Well-related filly Paravane broke through for her maiden win in pleasing fashion at Ellerslie on Wednesday when taking out the Join TAB Racing Club 1200 in the hands of senior hoop Vinnie Colgan.
So You Think Filly Shows Oaks Potential
The Bjorn Baker stable has been on fire this year and it’s full steam ahead to Queensland for talented So You Think filly Dame Commander, who beat older rivals at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
Queensland Calling for Exciting Wootton Bassett Colt
Champion trainer Chris Waller is renowned for producing talented back season juveniles that blossom into stakes performers and we saw one at Warwick Farm on Wednesday when heavily backed Wootton Bassett (GB) colt Regulated Affair opened his account.
Records Tumble at Huge Australian Weanling Sale
The most successful Inglis Australian Weanling Sale in history concluded at Riverside today with a record individual top price of $775,000 paid for a colt by Too Darn Hot (GB), a record gross and record average.
Castelvecchio Filly Records Promising Victory
Having placed in her first two starts, the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman trained Street Lark (Castelvecchio) appeared to appreciate the step up to the 1500m of Wednesday’s Sportsbet Get On Extra Plate at Caulfield to break her maiden with a promising performance..
Rising Stars - Metro 2YO Double for Wootton Bassett
Coolmore shuttler Wootton Bassett (GB) unleashed not one but two exciting juveniles at Warwick Farm on Wednesday with the opening race going to the colt Regulated Affair and shortly after it was the turn of the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained filly Agarwood.