Ryan's Classic Quartet Set For Breeders Challenge

BOASTING half the field for tonight’s Breeders Classic Final, Pat Ryan has every reason to be supremely confident about annexing the $5,000 feature.

BOASTING half the field for tonight's Tasmanian Breeders Classic Final (515m) at Launceston, trainer Pat Ryan has every reason to be supremely confident about annexing the $5,000 to-the-winner feature.

Last Monday, Dilston based Ryan enjoyed a red letter night, winning two Breeders Classic heats with Savage Victor (29.75) and Ava Wine (29.91), while fellow siblings Handsome Prince and Splotched progressed through to tonight's final with runner-up performances.

But as Ryan explains, despite lining up a quartet of runners, each by Sh Avatar out of See Blues Girl, tonight's winner's purse is anything but signed, sealed and delivered.

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"Savage Victor is favourite from box one but I think he's way under the odds," said Ryan.

"Debbie's dog Kintyre should be favourite if you ask me. He went the fastest of the heats last week and if he gets to the front tonight it'll be close to over … he's a very good young pup."

Kintyre, a son of Barcia Bale and Emerald Lee, was outstanding scoring for breeder-owner-trainer Debbie Canaan last Monday, defeating Handsome Prince by 3 ½ lengths in 29.55.

"The race looks to be between the inside four," Ryan explained.

"My two out wide, Splotched and Ava Wine, have ‘buckleys' of getting into the race from out there. Ava Wine will hold his line from the seven but I just can't see him getting across with so much speed inside."

Early markets see the Ryan-trained Savage Victor the $1.75 favourite for tonight's finale while Kintyre is the second elect at $3.50.

Sitting on the third line is Handsome Prince at $6 and as Ryan explains, could be the value runner ahead of tonight's $5,000 to-the-winner showdown.

"Handsome Prince has had a few niggling injuries along the way but he's the fastest of my four," Ryan said.

"But his box manners let him down. Before the series started and I was trialling them at Launceston and he'd have three tenths on the others … I've just had to bring him along slowly.

"If Savage Victor leads and Handsome Prince drops to the fence and gets a run through then it'll be a good race down the back. But if Debbie's dog leads then we can't beat him running that kind of time in front. I expect the race to be over heading down the back."

Ryan said the Tassie Breeders Classic series' continue to be a terrific way of rewarding local breeding.

"When I first came over here from Queensland I was having success with dogs that were sent over but I wasn't really making any money," Ryan reflected.

"David Crosswell told me early on that if I wanted to make some money I needed to look at breeding our own. This is the second litter we've bred and it's worked out great.

"With the bonuses and prize money last week we walked away with just under $10,000 with the four and if we can win tonight it'll be the same again.

"They all go into the race fit and sound and at their peak. I am really happy with the four of them."



 

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