Peggy Jean showed Gerald Ryan enough at her first start to earn a place in the $250,000 Inglis Classic but the trainer has seen enough of Boomwaa to know how hard he will be to beat.
The Robbie Laing-trained two-year-old, the nominal favourite for Saturday’s Randwick feature, has been staying at Ryan’s Sydney stable for the past two weeks.
“He is the one to beat of course,” Ryan said.
“But my two are going well and I think they can be competitive.”
The unraced Smokin Snitzel is Ryan’s other entry but with 15 nominations for the 14-horse field he is waiting to see if he gets a run.
Peggy Jean ran on from back in the field when she made her debut at Randwick last week to finish two lengths second to Nayeli.
“She pulled up well and I think she will appreciate the 1200 metres,” Ryan said.
“Kerrin McEvoy rides her again. Smokin Snitzel ran second in his last trial and if he gets in I think can also go well.”
A Group Three winner of the Maribyrnong Plate at Flemington in November, Boomwaa has pleased Laing with how he has settled into Sydney.
He is also the most experienced horse in the field having had four starts, twice as many as any of the others.
The race is restricted to yearlings offered at the 2013 Inglis Classic Sale.
Ryan also takes Martinvast to Randwick on Saturday, dropping him back from 2400 to 2000 metres in the benchmark 85.
Although he has won over 2450m in his native France and finished second over 2400 in the Listed Christmas Cup, Ryan believes his disappointing run when second last in the Tattersall’s Cup told a story.
“I don’t think he really gets 2400 metres so we’ll bring him back in journey,” he said.
Stablemate Red Excitement steps up to 1400m for his third start of a summer campaign which has so far brought a second to Emblems over 1200m and third to Turbulent Jet over 1350m.
“He is stepping up to open company for the first time but he is going very well,” Ryan said.
