JOHN Ryan has enjoyed a tremendous run with his horses over the last two months. The popular handler, who is based just a few miles outside Templemore in Tipperary, saddled his first treble at Sligo last week.
That brought his tally of winners to 12 for the current campaign - he saddled 11 winners last season.
He keeps his horses busy - most of them are trained from the field, and they hold their form well. Ryan has a canny knack of finding the right races for them.
He has built up a very good association with Danny Mullins, who he describes, ‘as good a jockey as there is out there.’ He said: “Danny comes in here every week and his feedback is top class. He is riding with great confidence at the moment, but I have a great team around me.
“Tom Brett is a very good young rider. Jim Bergin does a lot of work on the horses and he is brilliant at what he does. He keeps the horses nice and loose and my daughters are here as well and they all do a great job..
“Gillian rides the work at the weekend, Deirdre has won a lot of best turned out prizes, and Eoin is a very good work rider. Dan Corbett rides out and I use my cousin Tom Meagher’s gallops. The horses don’t do much at home. I’d like to keep them busy on the track. This game is all about momentum and once horses get on a run of form, they can sustain that if you keep them busy.”
He added: “Kylecrue is a case in point. He won twice at Listowel and it might have looked as if he has a hard race on the Sunday, but by Tuesday, he was bouncing and he barely had a saddle on him until he ran again and won on the Friday. If the races are there and the horses are well, let them take their chance.”
“We’ve had a great run of things and long may it continue and we have some lovely young horses at home. Most of them will go the point-to-point route and already some of them are showing plenty of promise.”
“All the local people have been very kind - they love to see the horses running well. I wouldn’t have any big owners and I would have bought a lot of my horses out of a field and we’d buy some at the sales as well. We don’t give big money for the horses, so we that means that we have try harder to source what we have.”
“Horses are my life - my father and his father always had horses, we run the local point-to-point on the farm here and it’s important to keep that up. I love the game and it has been my life for as long as I can remember and to train a winner anywhere is special.”
Over the last 21 days, he has run 19 horses, seven of those were placed and five have won. By any standards that is a terrific strike-rate.
ALLIED VICTORY
7yo b g (/60PP0-6U)
Old Vic - Echo Creek
Declan Donohoe
He has taken a bit of time, but we are getting there with him now. He comes from a good family - he was a Gigginstown horse and I think we have him coming right now and he will mix it over hurdles and fences. He could be well handicapped and he is still a young horse, so hopefully he’ll pay his way for us.
AUNT EILEEN
4yo b f (3175)
Whitmore’s Conn - Corbetstown Queen
Mrs Imelda O’Riordan
She is a nice mare. We have given her a break and she could be a very useful mare when she returns to action in the spring. She has won her maiden hurdle and she remains open to plenty of improvement. She has done enough for this year and I can see her winning some nice races on better ground next year.
BANQUET HILL
5yo b g (07-)
Trans Island - Music Triangle
John Patrick Ryan
He has yet to show on the track what he does at home. He is on the way back and is not too far off a run. He could be a nice horse to go jumping with.
BITVIEW COLIN
5yo ch g (1526133F)
Whitmore’s Conn - Madame Stella
Mrs Imelda O’Riordan
It was very disappointing that he fell over hurdles at Tipperary on Sunday. He was fine afterwards but he lucky as it looked a heavy fall. He will make his presence felt in novice hurdles before the end of the season and I can’t wait to send him over fences. He is a good horse and we’ll try him again in a novice hurdle at Limerick. He wouldn’t like real heavy ground - we might keep him on the go until Christmas time. He could go across the water with some of the others - we’ll see how Sunday goes first. Two and half miles is his probably his trip.
CLUAN DARA
4yo b g (8)
Scorpion - Long Walk Home John Patrick Ryan
He is a real nice horse that has had just the one run over hurdles. We’ll look for another maiden hurdle for him, but I think he’ll be competitive in a bumper and, depending on how he fares out the next day, that would be the plan for him.
CNOC NA SIOGA
9yo b g (3465/B3U31-)
Westerner - Nikkis Alstar
John Patrick Ryan
He isn’t that far off a run and all is good with him again. He is a good horse that will run over hurdles and fences. He wouldn’t like real soft ground - yielding jumping ground will be fine for him, but he was a good horse and he is back in good shape again. I think there could be a nice day in him.
DRAYCOTT PLACE
7yo b g (245723422U1)
Oscar - Power Again
John Patrick Ryan
He is a very classy horse. He had a few problems with his palate, but they have been rectified and he could be a very good horse. He’ll go to Cork for a good two-mile handicap. I have always loved him and he travels so well in his races, but his wind was catching him. That is sorted now and he has a change of gear and on his day, he is a very talented horse. He wants better ground and he might have a good at what used to be the Paddy Power Chase at Cheltenham. Two/two and a half miles is fine for him and I can him can see him getting further. He has oodles of class and he is a very bold jumper. I think there is a real big day on him.
ECHO LADY
5yo b m (032748)
Kayf Tara - Echo Queen
The Cedars Stud Partnership
She is a nice mare that has yet to win a race but she has been running well. She has a nice pedigree, I think she’ll win a mares’ maiden hurdle and hopefully she’ll progress from there. She is owned by a syndicate that love their racing and hopefully she’ll be lucky for them.
FATHER JED
5yo b g (444-80811)
Kutub - Astrid
Patrick T Morrissey & Adam Lloyd
He does nothing but please us. He was a well handicapped horse that has just strengthened up and he has won his last two. He has gone up 16lbs for this two wins, but he probably deserved that. He is a smashing horse that will jump a fence as well at some stage. He runs at Tramore on Thursday and I think there is another couple of races to be won with him before he goes chasing.
KILCARRY BRIDGE
9yo b g (7222F4F5/43)
Balakheri - Echo Queen
Darraugh’s Choice Syndicate
He was out for a year and a half with an injury, but he is on the way back and I think he is a smasher. He was placed in a Dan Moore and last week, he just got tired at Sligo. I’d like to think that there is a good day in him and he might go to Cork for a good two-mile chase. He wants a good cut in the ground and he could mix it over hurdles and fences for the winter. He is a nice horse and is one to keep on the right side of. He doesn’t want real heavy ground.
KILLDEVIL GEORGE
4yo b g (0-)
Thewayyouare- Behrasia
Mrs Imelda O’Riordan
He has had just the one run in what was a very good bumper at Fairyhouse. He is a horse that I think a lot of. He has matured a lot since and he wants a bit of nice ground and he won’t run over the winter, but once we get a bit of nice ground in the spring, we’ll get him going again. I think he could be very good.
KITTY B
7yo br m (534)
Golan - Midnight Pleasure
John Patrick Ryan
She is not quick enough for bumpers, but she jumps well and we’ll crack on with her now with her over hurdles. She’ll go for a mares’ maiden hurdle over two and a half miles.
KITTYHAWKKAY
4yo ch f (0)
Shirocco - Houblonniere
Mrs Imelda O’Riordan
She is another that has had just the one run but she goes well at home and I am really looking forward to getting her back on the track.
KYLECRUE
9yo b g (651-062341211)
Gold Well - Sher’s Adamant
John Patrick Ryan
He’ll go for the Munster National on Sunday. He has been in terrific form and he has endless stamina. For a horse that stays so well, he is not slow and he is as good over two and a half miles on soft ground as he is over three miles plus. He is just a very good horse and the more rain they get for the weekend the better. After Sunday, we’ll look at the race for him at Aintree. He is probably a Grade 2 horse and he is ultra-tough. He jumps and stays so well and he is a very hard horse to pass. We could try him back in a good handicap hurdle at some stage.
Danny gets on very well on him, as have Donagh Meyler and David Mullins, but Danny is the man at the moment. We’ll see how Sunday goes first and he is better going left-handed, even though he has won a lot of races going right handed. He doesn’t do a stroke at home and that is why he runs so often.
He spends 80% of his time in the field - he comes in every night. We are just very lucky to have a horse like him. Hopefully the ground will be soft on Sunday and I can see him running a very good race.
MIC MILANO
9yo b g (1P931-472283)
Milan - Karenchew
Edmond Murphy
He has won a couple over hurdles for us and he jumps fences well and he will mix it away over hurdles and fences. He stays well and Tommy Brett gets on very well with him. He should be able to win a handicap chase and he pays his way. He has a bit of age about him and he is off a nice mark over fences. Two and a half miles plus is ideal for him.
OUR MAISAIE
5yo b m (475)
Azamour - Ramayna
Mrs Imelda O’Riordan
She has been a bit disappointing and we might go for a flat race with her. She is bred to get a mile and it looks like she might not get much further.
PRESENTING MAHLER
6yo ch m (16434-434215)
Mahler - Oddly Presented
Patrick G McKeon
We ran her back too quick at Gowran after she beat a good mare of Willie’s in a chase at Sligo. We’ll give her a chance now and wait for the real soft ground. We’ll try and get some blacktype for her and she need at least two and a half to three miles. My daughter Gillian got a great spin off her in the Slan Abhaile for the last two years at Listowel. We’ll wait for soft ground for her now and there is a nice mares’ novice chase campaign for her. She is a great mare to jump and there is a good day in her over fences this year.
WHO’S CROSS
8yo b g (PP6B7-022)
Runyon - Mystery Escort
Declan Donohoe
He has been running well and has won a couple for us and was second on his last two starts. Ideally he would like decent ground and two miles is his trip. He should be able to win off his mark but I’d say he’ll get a break soon enough, but hopefully he’ll win a handicap before we leave him off.
WILLOW GRANGE
8yo b g (U6543231)
Turtle Island - Rainbow Times
John Patrick Ryan
He has been an enigma and it took him a long time to win, but he did it well last week at Sligo and hopefully now he can build on that.
He handled the ground well that day and the chances are that we well keep him on the go now for the winter.
Hopefully he has turned the corner.
FACTFILE
Trainer: John Patrick Ryan
Address: Fairyhill, Templemore, Co Tipperary
Telephone: 0504 31733/087 2452741
Horses: Approx 25
Jockeys: Danny Mullins and Tom Brett