Gerald Ryan’s chances of a Coolmore Stud Stakes win have dramatically improved in the past couple of weeks.
After being forced to pull the pin on nominal favourite Menari’s bid because the colt needed a throat operation, Ryan was dealt another blow when Trapeze Artist suffered a suspected neck muscle injury ruling him out of the Sydney Stakes on October 14.
Trapeze Artist won the Group One Golden Rose (1400m) in late September in which his stablemate finished third as favourite.
It was always Ryan’s intention to bring both colts back to the 1200 metres of Saturday’s Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes.
Trapeze Artist will travel to Melbourne from Sydney on Wednesday night and Ryan is convinced he will handle straight-track racing the same way he handles everything else.
“He is a cool dude and nothing worries him,” Ryan said.
“He is very quiet and never a problem in the stable.
“We treated him with anti-inflammatories and he only missed one day of work.
“He is a very straightforward horse so it’s a question of how he handles the straight course.
“But he had a straight jump-out last Tuesday and he has had a gallop the reverse way leading with the other leg so I have no concerns.”
Trapeze Artist was a $41 chance when he won the Golden Rose but is being kept safe for his next assignment at $8 with Godolphin colt Viridine the $6 favourite in the early Coolmore Stud Stakes markets featuring the 22 entries.
Ryan has plenty of reasons to think that is a reasonable assessment.
“It will be a big field with a lot of chances but he goes in as the only last-start Group One winner,” he said.
“He looks a treat and you wouldn’t know there was ever anything wrong with him.
Last-start Group Two Roman Consul Stakes winner Viridine pleased trainer James Cummings with a sharp piece of work down the straight at Flemington on Tuesday morning.
“He’s seen the straight a couple of times now and that will stand him in good stead,” Cummings said.
“I was happy with his work. He galloped to the line nicely.”
