Trainer Simon Ryan was taken aback by the dominance of his sprinter Grandview Avenue during his recent success at Moonee Valley.
The Warrnambool trainer thought Grandview Avenue was a chance in the Listed Carlyon Stakes based on his win at the same track over 955 metres a week earlier but he was blown away by the style of the performance.
“I didn’t expect that. It was a dominant win and he had the race won a long way out,” Ryan said.
The in-form gelding will be back in action on Saturday, this time at Flemington where he will run in The Living Legends Sprint (1000m).
Ryan believes he is well placed at the weights to complete a hat-trick of wins.
“He’s in well on the weights. He meets Prezado four-and-a-half kilos better after beating him by three lengths,” he said.
“There’s a lot of speed in the race. He’s not one-dimensional as he can take a sit. (Apprentice) Teo Nugent knows how to ride him and he’ll be able to work it out.”
Ryan admitted Grandview Avenue’s recent surge of form had taken him by surprise.
“I think keeping him to 1000 metres has helped. I thought he could be a horse who could win on a Friday night at Moonee Valley, which he did, but (I thought) that might have been it,” he said.
Grandview Avenue has been a late developer and Ryan says it could just be a matter of natural improvement with him.
The trainer is also keen to try him over a slightly longer distance again after he ran well over 1100 metres when fifth to Leiter during the Flemington carnival.
Ryan, who only has five horses in work, also trained a double at Hamilton on December 1.
