Gerald Ryan hopes to win his first Magic Millions Classic with Chauffeur
It would not be more apt for trainer Gerald Ryan to win his first Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic with a son of Snitzel.
Ryan will saddle Snitzel’s son Chauffeur who will go a long way to recouping his sales topping $1.6 million price tag if he can win the $2 million Classic at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Ryan is an unabashed fan of Snitzel and with little wonder as he has trained 48 individual winners of 106 races by the stallion.
His association with Snitzel goes back to 2005 when Ryan sent him out a short-priced favourite in the Magic Millions Classic.
Snitzel finished in a dead heat for third behind Bradbury’s Luck but it was that run which earmarked him as a top class horse.
“He drew barrier twelve and went around four deep without cover. I remember (former trainer) John Page telling me Snitzel’s run was the mark of a very good horse,” Ryan said.
“John who has been on the Gold Coast for years told me young horses just didn’t do what Snitzel did that day.
“Of course John was proved right because Snitzel went on to win the Group One Oakleigh Plate.”
Ryan and Snitzel’s owner Damion Flower have had success with many of Snitzel’s progeny.
“He has had seven Group One winners and his two-year-olds have had exceptional results. No wonder I get as many of the breed as I can,” Ryan said.
The colt’s dam Mirror Mirror won the 2006 Magic Millions Classic.
Chauffeur has an all star line-up of owners including Flower, Neil Werrett, Nick Vass and John Singleton.
He won first-up at Rosehill and was a handy third behind Millions favourite From Within at Canterbury at his last start.
Ryan is confident he did the right thing by keeping Chauffeur in Sydney for his Classic lead-ups and pointed out 10 of the past 18 Millions winners had not raced in Queensland before the big race.
“I think Chauffeur is a very good horse but he might be better once he gets out to 1400m,” he said.
Ryan will be represented in the $2 million Magic Millions Guineas by Pipeline who has gained a run as first emergency.
“I have put the blinkers on him but we will still be able to ride him back. The favourite Winning Rupert is a very smart horse but I will be interested to see how he goes against this field,” Ryan said.
“I am not knocking Queensland horses but Winning Rupert has won all of his races in Queensland. He hasn’t met the good southern horses.
“He is up in the weights and against some other stakes winners, so it will be interesting.”
