Gerald Ryan spends most of his life looking at horses and what the trainer sees of Kinglike has him excited ahead of the four-year-old’s race return.
While he isn’t one to weigh his horses, Ryan’s eyes tell him Kinglike had put on around 50 kilograms since he ran fourth behind Japonisme in the Arrowfield Stud Stakes in April.
Formerly trained by Peter Moody, Kinglike has had just that one start for the Ryan stable.
He returns in Saturday’s Group Three Concorde Stakes (1100m) at Randwick.
“I reckon he’s around 50 kilos heavier than the autumn,” Ryan said.
“He was a late foal and took a long time to mature.
“All the jockeys who have ridden him work tell me he feels like a Group One horse and that’s without me telling them who they were on.
“I think he’s the forgotten horse.”
The now-retired Moody thought enough of Kinglike to run him as a three-year-old in the William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley in March.
He had little luck in the Group One race won by stablemate Flamberge which signalled Moody’s swan song.
Before the William Reid, Kinglike was a close second to English in the Challenge Stakes with the Gai Waterhouse-trained filly subsequently winning the Group One All Aged Stakes.
“I have watched all the tapes of his races and liked what I’ve seen,” Ryan said.
“The plan is to run in the Concorde, then The Shorts and then go to Melbourne but which race we haven’t decided yet.”
Kinglike will meet the Chris Waller-trained Group One winner Japonisme again in his next two starts.
“Japonisme will have three runs in Sydney – the Concorde, The Shorts and the Premiere Stakes and then go to Melbourne for the Manikato Stakes,” Waller said.
