JOHN Ryan has enjoyed plenty of success this season and, from limited resources, his results have ensured that he has remained in the top 10 trainers in the country since the start of the current campaign.
He had a disappointing day at Cork last Sunday, but reflecting back now, he said: “The four horses that we had in the back of the lorry have won €760,000 in prize money – that is a fair achievement for a small yard like ours.
“We live for the game. The horses want for nothing and we feed them well and they live outside as much as possible. My daughter Deirdre turns the horses looking their best and it makes no difference whether there is a (best turned out) prize or not – she takes great pride in what she does.
“We don’t overwork horses at home and as a result, we can run them regularly. Danny Mullins is a big part of them team. He has ridden a lot of winners for us and he is just a very good lad to have anything to do with.
“We bring the horses away to the likes of Tipperary and Thurles. Glencairn gallops are fantastic and Jimmy O’Brien runs them down in Lismore and Andrew Hogan (Tipperary) and Robbie Moran (Thurles) are always very accommodating.”
Ryan’s family have been involved in the game for generations. “My grand uncle won the Irish Derby in 1911 with a horse called Shanballymore,” the trainer said.
“I think racing is in a good place. I know there are big owners and trainers, but I think it is great to see these good horses racing in Ireland. For years all our good horses were sold to race in England and they would end up beating our best horses at Cheltenham. Now we have the best trainers and jockeys and that is something that we should be very proud of.
“Racing is not a game that you are going to make a lot of money out of – we are farmers as well and we have to work hard sourcing horses. We don’t have big budgets so it is very satisfying when our horses win a good race.
“We have some lovely young stock coming through. There is a lovely three-year-old by Yeats and another by Scorpion from the Shuil Ar Aghaidh family. We have a nice Dandy Man filly that will go for a three-year-old bumper in England. There is a gorgeous Stowaway filly called Bellin Brook that we like and she will be out shortly.
“We bought two lovely horses at the Derby Sale by Kalanisi and Morzov and they will be aimed at bumpers in the spring. There is also a lovely filly by Shantou which is a half-sister to Kilcarry Bridge which will go for a bumper in the spring.
“Deirdre and my son Eoin are here every day and play a huge role in the yard. Cathal Landers work for me and my other daughter, Gillian, is a big part of the team as well. My cousin Tom Meagher has a wonderful hill gallop which he allows me to use. We have a great team which works behind the scenes and without them and the owners that we have, it would be a struggle.
“But we love the game and we live and breathe racing.”
ALICES MAN
7yo b g (57088614)
Golan - Awbeg Flower
John Patrick Ryan
He won a little race for us at Hexham, but that is his grade. He was a bit unlucky the last day at the same track, but he is an honest horse and I think will be competitive now at his own level.
He stays well and he might well win another little race along the way.
ALLIED VICTORY
8yo b g (P0/6UP-5926)
Old Vic - Echo Creek
Declan Donohoe
He picked up a little injury at Tramore which has meant that he has had a bit of time off, but he‘ll be fine and we’ll have him back for the spring. He ran well at Sligo in August and hopefully he’ll be able to get his head in front again.
AUNT EILEEN
5yo b m (3175-06FF)
Whitmore’s Conn - Corbetstown Queen
Mrs Imelda O’Riordan
She is a lovely mare and she won her maiden hurdle at Sligo last year.
She has been unfortunate to fall on her last two starts which isn’t ideal. We have had her wind operated on, but she would like a bit of nice ground and is another that we won’t see the best of until the spring. She will go back over fences and she has only had eight runs in her life so there is more to come from her.
BANQUET HILL
6yo b g (07/44U0)
Trans Island -Music Triangle
John Patrick Ryan
He picked up a little injury which meant that he has had a bit of time off. He is back cantering away and he should win his maiden hurdle on a bit of nice ground next spring. He’ll be a nice horse.
BENEFIT OF LOVE
5yo b m (8900)
Fruits of Love -Baro’Gs Benefit
Simon G Ryan
She has been a bit frustrating but she has a nice mark over hurdles and I think she has enough ability to be competitive in handicaps in her own grade on a bit of nice ground.
BITVIEW COLIN
6yo ch g (700-9433881F)
Whitmore’s Conn - Madame Stella
Mrs Imelda O’Riordan
He is a smasher and he was unlucky not to win the last day at Hexham as he made a bad mistake when going well in front and then eventually went on to fall at the last. He won there on his previous start and he’ll win plenty of more races. He comes from a very good family and we might look to go back over to England again.
CLUAN DARA
5yo b g (454442266)
Scorpion - Long Walk Home
Bit View Partnership
He is an exciting horse. He got badly hampered at the third last at Punchestown on Sunday and bar that, I think he’d have finished a good bit closer. He is qualified to run in those auction maiden hurdles and he should be up to winning one of them. He will make into a lovely chaser but he will remain over hurdles this season. He handles soft ground well and anywhere from two to two and a half miles is fine for him.
DRAYCOTT PLACE
8yo b g (46-44633867)
Oscar - Power Again
John Patrick Ryan
He had a wind operation and then ran well behind Enda Bolger’s good horse Ballyoisin in a Grade B handicap chase at Cork three runs ago, but he has lost his way a bit since. He likes a bit of better ground and there is a chance that he might get that at Fairyhouse next week. He won’t handle deep winter ground so he’ll have a break at some stage, but he retains plenty of ability and there is a good two-mile chase he could go for at Leopardstown at Christmas. We’ll see how he gets on at Fairyhouse first.
EMILYOGUE
4yo b f (053-870)
Scorpion - Presenting Tara
Thomas F Meagher
I’d like to think that she can win a race off her current mark. She wouldn’t want this bad ground, but on better she’ll be fine and she’s only a four-year-old so I hope there’s a lot more to come from her.
GEORGES CONN
9yo b g (3602UU533-34)
Whitmore’s Conn - Georges Girl
John Patrick Ryan
He is a maiden over fences but he is a grand horse. He can’t handle this deep winter ground and he’ll be aimed at long distance staying chases next year. He’ll go for the Leinster National at Naas and he might go for a beginners chase somewhere before that. He has had a good break and has put on a good bit of condition. There are some good races over fences in England that might suit him and the further he goes the better. He is best over three miles plus and something like the Mayo National next year is another option for him.
ICANTSAY
7yo b g (50754531651)
Spadoun - Twilight Vic
Mrs C B Walsh
If he can jump off and get into a rhythm up front in the Troytown Chase tomorrow, I give him a savage chance. I didn’t think he was going to get into the race earlier in the week so it’s great he can run.
Danny was brilliant on him at Navan the last day and his hurdles mark went up 8lbs for that. He has a lovely racing weight tomorrow and the key to him is going left handed.
He needs soft ground and he seems to have a great lung capacity to be able to go a good gallop and then sustain it on bad ground. He is a horse that loves to please you and he’ll be running at the likes of Naas, Leopardstown and Navan over the winter, mixing it between hurdles and fences.
KENTUCKY MINSTREL
7yo b g ( 806/P)
Oscar - Park Belle
Simon G Ryan
He has a low mark, but has very little racing done. He shows enough at home to suggest that he can win a little race over hurdles at some stage.
KILCARRY BRIDGE
10yo b g (24-15431P3126)
Balakheri - Echo Queen
John Patrick Ryan
He was in the Troytown, but he won’t run there and instead he’ll go for the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury. He ran a massive race in a Grade 3 at Punchestown, giving his all on the day, and it’s possible that race took more out of him than we thought which was maybe we he ran flat at Cork last week. Three miles and two furlongs at Newbury will really suit him and he is a much better chaser than a hurdler. He is the fifth or sixth leading money earner in Ireland this season and that is some achievement.
There is more to come from him and he is a horse that would bring a smile to your face every day – he is really gutsy. He wouldn’t like it as bad as the ground was at Cork but he is fine on loose soft ground. He has won three Grade B races and the Mayo National this year. He has been a terrific servant.
KILCARRY RED
5yo b g (5)
High Chaparral – Dixielake
John Patrick Ryan
He is a half-brother to Ted Walsh’s horse Rossvoss and he ran a nice race on his only start in a bumper. He will more than likely go for another bumper, but he is a huge horse – he is nearly 18hh so we are in no rush with him. I think he’ll develop into a nice horse and chasing will be his game. He is only five and we’ll find something for him around Christmas time.
KYLECRUE
10yo b g (36P-51P35195)
Gold Well - Sher’s Adamant
John Patrick Ryan
He disappointed us a bit on his last two starts but he is in fantastic form on a whole and he’ll go to Navan for a good two and a half mile chase in two weeks. He wants soft to heavy ground and he is a better horse going left handed. He is not overly big and ideally he is probably better off carrying a light weight in a better race.
He won a valuable chase at Listowel in September and he made all when he won a €25,000 handicap hurdle at Galway. He’ll go to Navan next and I have no doubt that he’ll give a very good account of himself. He has been a terrific servant.
LE HACHETTE
4yo b f (856)
Yeats - Tafseer
John Patrick Ryan
She is a really nice filly that has had just the three starts to date. She runs at Navan tomorrow and it doesn’t look the greatest race so I’d give her a fair chance. She wasn’t beaten far at all at Cork and that experience is very important. We like her.
MEHIV
5yo b m (6)
Dubai Destination – Valleyboggan
John Patrick Ryan
She met with a little setback after her only start at Kilbeggan. We have her half-sister here as well and she will be ready to run again in the spring.
MIC MILANO
10yo b g (3494-87472)
Milan - Karenchew
Edmond Murphy
He won’t appear for a while and he is a horse that wants better ground. He appears to like Ballinrobe and I’m sure that there are more races to be won with him there.
OLDCASTLE
4yo br g (8776)
Stowaway – Cointosser
Michael Joseph Moloney
He is a nice horse who has needed a bit of time, but he has shown promise in a few of his runs to date. He is capable of winning a few races over hurdles on nice ground before he goes chasing.
PRESENTING MAHLER
7yo ch m (02251541569)
Mahler - Oddly Presented
Patrick G McKeon
She is a very good mare and has won €100,000 in prize money. She gets away with summer soft/heavy, but she is a good moving filly that wants better ground during the winter and she struggled in that soft ground at Cork on Sunday.
She has won two good races for us this season at Galway and Listowel and we’ll give her a little break now and freshen her up with a view to having her back for something at Christmas time. There are a few options for her at Leopardstown and she has a very good mark over hurdles. She needs a big galloping track and is a better mare going left-handed.
REACH UP
4yo ch g (4)
Phoenix Reach - Manele Bay
The Cedars Stud Partnership
He wasn’t beaten far in a bumper at Ballinrobe on his first start and he likes soft ground so he’ll be out soon enough and I’d imagine that he’ll go for another bumper.
RUSTY MORGAN
5yo b g (7)
Captain Rio –Sonjeu
Bit View Partnership
He has shown us enough to suggest that he’ll be competitive in a handicap in his own grade on a bit of nice ground. He has a little wind operation which should help him as well.
WHO’S CROSS
9yo b g (850-P078330)
Runyon - Mystery Escort
Declan Donohoe
There should be a day in him and Rachel Blackmore gets a good tune out of him. He is another horse that will run away in his own grade and hopefully he’ll win a little chase somewhere down the line. He likes soft ground and he just needs things to fall right for him.
WILLOW GRANGE
9yo b g (62-2607803P)
Turtle Island -Rainbow Times
John Patrick Ryan
He is a grand horse that usually runs a good race in his own grade. He is coming down to a workable mark. He will run away in staying chases and he seems to handle most types of ground.