Wet Randwick track suits Ryan runners
The sons and daughters of Zabeel are often slow to mature and trainer Gerald Ryan says that’s the case with Zabeelions.
Ryan and owners Damion Flower and his wife Camilla have taken their time with the lightly raced four-year-old, a brother to South Australian Derby winner Zabeelionaire and Queensland Oaks winner Gondokoro.
While he wasn’t ready to attempt the Classics last season, Ryan is hoping Zabeelions can step up to better races after he begins his campaign in a 1400m-benchmark race at Randwick on Monday.
“We’ve been very patient with him and he’s only had ten starts,” Ryan said.
“The 1400 will be short of his best but we are keen to get him up and running.
“The wet track will suit him. He’s a brother to a Derby and an Oaks winner but I think 2000 metres might pull him up.”
Ryan said Zabeelions would stay in Sydney for races like the Winter Cup but he does have Queensland carnival ambitions for Muzyka who runs in an 1800m-race for three-year-olds at the Anzac Day meeting at Randwick.
“The Queensland Oaks is the plan,” he said.
“Her runs have looked a bit ordinary this time in but she’s getting up to a suitable distance now.
“Last preparation she didn’t come good until she was well into her preparation and then she won her maiden and ran third in the Wakeful.
“This will be her fourth run in and I’d expect her to show something.
“The wet track should also suit her. The track was soft for the Wakeful and she also ran fourth in the Fernhill as a two-year-old on a heavy.”
Randwick was rated a heavy (8) on Sunday.
Duty Dude, who runs in the 1000m-race for the three-year-olds is another stablemate who should appreciate the rain-affected ground.
“His two wins have been on soft tracks,” Ryan said.
“On paper his form doesn’t look as good as it should. He has put in a couple of bad runs, both at Newcastle, so maybe he just doesn’t like it there.
“And the only reason he hasn’t raced for five weeks is that he was supposed to run at Hawkesbury but they didn’t get enough acceptances so they abandoned the race.”