The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou stable has a Stakes race or a benchmark option in mind for recently gelded Just Party at Hawkesbury.
Just Party is entered in the Group 3 Hawkesbury Guineas and the benchmark 88 handicap on Saturday with both races to be run over 1400m.
The three-year-old will be tasked with carrying 56kg if Ryan and Alexiou decided on the Hawkesbury Guineas option while he has been allotted 58.5 kg in the benchmark 88 contest.
Ryan said Just Party was gelded after his last start eighth in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on February 22.
Just Party, a winner of a two-year-old contest at Wyong in March 2024, has predominantly raced in Stakes company since with Black Type placings in the Fernhill Stakes, the Tapp-Craig and the Callander-Presnell, the last two of which came during the Sydney Carnival last spring.
But Just Party failed to fire in two runs in the early autumn, and the decision was made to send the three-year-old off for the gelding operation.
In preparation for his first outing as a gelding, Just Party has had two trials, the latest when successful at Randwick on April 24.
“He won a trial nicely last Thursday,” Ryan said.
“He has come back a lot better as a gelding. We did it after his last preparation. He only had the two runs, and we stopped him.
“He is a totally different horse now and gelding might be the making of him.
“I’m not sure whether he will run in the Guineas or the benchmark 88.
“He is a gelding now so we will just take him through his grades, but he’s already got quite a high rating.”
Ryan said whatever race they decide to run Just Party in, Nash Rawiller, who has ridden him in the two trials, will take the ride.
