Already with a well-established fresh record, trainer Nick Ryan is hoping Express Pass can build on it at down the straight at Flemington.
Newly-based Flemington trainer Nick Ryan is hoping Express Pass can this preparation live up to the potential he has displayed in his short career.
A rising five-year-old, Express Pass has faced the starter on 12 occasions, registering three wins, and on Saturday commences his latest campaign in the [email protected] Handicap (1100m) at Flemington.
Ryan moved from Caulfield on April 1 to Flemington and has registered six winners from 16 runners since moving while holding Express Pass back for Saturday’s race.
“It’s a good starting point for him for this prep and he usually flies fresh,” Ryan said.
Express Pass started his career running second in a Listed two-year-old race at Caulfield in May 2019 and in four fresh appearances has two wins and two placings to his credit.
The son of Wandjina has raced up the straight twice, finishing third behind Dalasan in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes and later over 1000m behind Excess Funds in February last year.
Ryan said Express Pass has had two jump-outs in preparation for Saturday’s return.
“I wasn’t all that rapt in his first jump-out at Werribee,” Ryan said.
“The track was a little bit shifty that day, but we gave him one here last Friday and he was very good.
“He sat back and rounded them up and he’s really trained on since then.”
One sticking point for Ryan though is barrier two, preferring to be drawn out towards the middle, but he knows the horse has the ability overcome that hiccup.
Ryan has not looked beyond Saturday but hopes to keep Express Pass to straight track racing and in the future into better company than benchmark 78 grade he is racing against on Saturday.
“I think he’s going to be a good straight track horse,” Ryan said.
“We’ll get through tomorrow, hopefully get his rating up so he can get into better races.”
