Cavalry Rose has returned to form to present trainer Gerald Ryan with an early Caulfield double when she clinched the Group Three Thoroughbred Club Stakes (1200m) on Saturday.
Ryan had to ease off Cavalry Rose’s routine after he was left baffled by the filly’s poor performance at Warwick Farm in August when she beat only one runner home.
Cavalry Rose winning the Group 3 at Caulfield - photo by Race Horse Photos Australia (Steven Dowden)
An improved run over 1200 metres at Rosehill on September 29 when she finished fourth in an eight-horse field gave him some optimism he was on the right track.
And, following Ryan’s success with Snitzerland in the Blue Sapphire Stakes, the trainer was delighted to see the three-year-old’s return to her peak.
Cavalry Rose ($8), with leading jockey Nash Rawiller aboard, won by a short half-head from Mareeza ($16) with G1en Boss’ mount Saturn Rock, the $3.80 equal favourite, third.
“It’s been great,” Ryan said. “The Triple Crown (Syndicate) boys have been terrific, they left it to me after she went awful in the Silver Shadow.
“We had to back off and try to find out why she went so bad.
“We did nothing with her for 10 days and she’s bounced back and she’s just gone terrific since,” he said.
Ryan said he had little doubt Cavalry Rose would perform on cue after her work earlier in the week in Sydney.
“She worked enormously at Rosehill on Monday morning, this (Melbourne) way of going, and I was really confident going into the race.
“She came down here to a nice little barn over there at Caulfield which the Melbourne Racing Club has given us for the spring and she just has not missed a beat,” he said.
