A return to two-year-old racing and the addition of blinkers could be the key to Sinba rebounding at Rosehill.
Gerald Ryan believes promising juvenile Sinba was on a hiding to nothing when beaten as an odds-on favourite at Gosford and remains confident he can atone on his home track of Rosehill.
The two-year-old will be back against his own age group in Saturday’s Bowermans Commercial Furniture Handicap (1400m) after circumstances forced his trainers to run him out of his grade last start.
After posting an impressive debut win at Newcastle, Sinba was scheduled to tackle a 1600m race for two-year-olds at Gosford but when it was scrapped due to a lack of interest, Ryan and co-trainer Sterling Alexiou had to scramble to find an alternative.
Another mile race on the same program was one of the few options available, but it meant taking on older, more seasoned opponents.
“He went there an odds-on favourite but two-year-olds at any time of the year, they can beat maidens, but they can’t beat the older horses when you get up in grade,” Ryan said.
“It was the only other race I could find to run him in. The first two favourites in that race were two two-year-olds. We ran third and the other ran fifth.
“We were giving a five-year-old four kilos. You can’t beat them, especially when you’re giving them weight.”
While Sinba had genuine excuses, Ryan felt the son of Xtravagant still did things wrong and blinkers go on for Saturday’s assignment.
Tim Clark, who enjoyed a great partnership with Ryan and Alexiou’s recently retired stakes winner Peltzer, has the ride from barrier six.
“I whacked the blinkers on him. They didn’t seem to make a lot of difference to him here at home but it might be different when the gates open,” Ryan said.
