Wet Weather Interrupts Trial Program
- Monday, 18 August 2014 08:54
The onset of rain in Sydney has caused a hiccup in the preparations of some of Gerald Ryan's new season three-year-olds.
Barrier trials at Rosehill were abandoned on Monday due to the wet and three of the stable's spring Group One hopefuls, Peggy Jean, Charlie Boy and Bachman, will now run in heats at Randwick on Friday.
"I took the precaution last week of entering six horses at Randwick when I saw the forecast," Ryan said.
"But horses not trained at Randwick are the first balloted out so I was concerned they might not get a run.
"The plan is to start Bachman first-up in the Golden Rose but I'd really like to give him two trials to do that.
"Peggy Jean is scheduled to go first-up into the Furious on Saturday week. It's thrown things out a bit but in saying that, we badly need the rain."
Ryan will rely on in-form sprinter Oakfield Commands at Saturday's feature meeting at Randwick where the seven-year-old runs in the Group Three Show County Quality (1200m) with stable apprentice Lester Grace aboard.
"Lester has a good record on the horse so I see no reason to take him off," Ryan said.
"And the horse has a good record at Randwick. He has three wins from his last three starts there.
"He's adaptable and he's good in the wet and has fitness on his side."
Oakfield Commands came to Ryan from the Darren Smith stable and has won two of his three starts for his new trainer.
At his other start, Oakfield Commands weakened in the final stages of the Civic Stakes when stepped up to 1350 metres.
The gelding is one of 17 entries for the Show County which includes several runners also nominated for the Group Two weight-for-age Warwick Stakes (1400m).
