Gerald Ryan will look to raise the bar for prolific winner Rosie’s Reward after she led all the way in the opening race at Canterbury on Saturday to post her seventh victory.
The mare has now won almost half of her 15 starts, the past two in a row, and she is undefeated at Canterbury.
Ryan only took over her training at the start of her current campaign but has plenty of time for the five-year-old.
“She’s a tough little mare,” Ryan said.
“She’s nearly raced herself out of this class now.
“Ian Ward, he bred, owns and races her, he keeps wanting to play it down but I think she is capable of winning a stakes race as long as we find the right one.”
Rated a treat by apprentice Adam Hyeronimus, Rosie’s Reward ($5.50) made use of her inside draw and found plenty under her hefty 58kg to win the Merry Christmas From The ATC Handicap (1200m) by two lengths over well-backed favourite Miss Marx ($4.40 in to $3.70).
Cabernet ($8.50) ran on from the back to be another long neck away third.
The first two races on the Christmas Eve program went to junior riders with Sam Clipperton guiding Soledad to victory in the Schweppes Handicap (1250m).
In a patient ride, Clipperton settled the Peter Snowden-trained gelding behind the speed and when a run opened up in the straight he urged Soledad ($4.80) through it to run down leader Battant ($4.20) and score by a length with Saramenha ($7) another 1-1/4 lengths in away third.
Soledad was heavily backed, opening at $5 and easing to $7 before being crunched.
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