While Ryan’s five-year-old had been in what the trainer concedes was “a bit of a lapse”, Bellshasar showed good strength as he flew down the outside to grab victory in the 1400 metre contest.

It was the sort of run Ryan knew his gelding was capable of.

“At his best he is a good finisher. Of late he hasn’t been doing that but [Sunday] he was back to his best,” Ryan said.

“He’s had a little bit of a lapse, mainly due to his travelling. He doesn’t like travelling so he’s still got to get over that.”

Mark Lister was in the saddle for Ryan, who 30 years ago had his father Arthur Lister engaged for a number of rides.

It was the first time Mark Lister had ridden for the Bathurst trainer and Ryan liked what he saw.

“I just asked him not to run too early, Dubbo has a long straight. It’s about two furlongs long,” Ryan said of his pre-race instructions to the talented hoop.

“It was his first ride on him [Bellshasar] and it was an exemplary ride. He’s a very good jockey.

“If he could do that every time he would be the first one I booked.”

The five-year-old Bianconi x Ground Rules gelding entered the contest on the back of a sixth placing at Hawkesbury, but it was a race that Bellshasar led for all but the final 100 metres as he made all the running.

He started as the $6 equal favourite and Lister guided him into fifth behind Jazannan before making his move with 500 metres to go.

After running along the rails in the early stages of the race, Bellshasar came out and made his charge down the extreme outside to beat home Jazannan ($6) by 11/2 lengths with Accomodating ($6.50) a further half neck back in third.

The victory took Bellshasar’s career earnings to $25,550 from 14 starts and Ryan said he will now look at taking his gelding back to Hawkesbury.

Fellow Bathurst trainer Gayna Williams was also amongst the placings on Sunday in Dubbo when Disco Dan grabbed second in the Purastock Maiden Plate (1200m).

With Jon Grisedale in the saddle, Disco Dan started as a $5 chance on the back of his second placing at a trial in Orange.

The race was taken out by the Mark Milton trained Fuji Moto (Greg Ryan, $3.20 favourite), Disco Dan finishing 11/4 lengths back with Table Captain ($15) rounding out the three.

A three-year-old bay gelding by Danehill Dancer out of Flying Celebrity, Disco Dan earned $1800 for the second placing in his racing debut.