Ryan finished the recently-completed season with 140.5 winners – 13 clear of Sydney premiership winner and former Bathurst apprentice Hugh Bowman.

Of his 140.5 wins, 136.5 came in the bush while his sole metropolitan winner was Ideal Position for Mudgee trainer Jeff Brasch.

Ryan also picked up a number of his wins on the back of runners from Don Ryan’s Bathurst stables.

In fact, Don Ryan also joined Greg Ryan as a premiership winner.

Don Ryan’s horse Our Canny Lad was the equal best performed runner in the Central Districts premiership with five wins, sharing the honour with Toranaga.

Moment Of Clarity from the stables of Bathurst trainer Sarah Murray-Leslie, was close behind with four wins.

Also featuring on the statewide list are Central West riders Mathew Cahill (19th place, 65 wins) and Kody Nestor (25th place, 53.5 wins)

At his peak a few years ago Greg Ryan estimates his best season saw him ride 216 winners but he puts the drop in numbers down to taking less rides and a more competitive racing industry, both in the horse and the jockey ranks.

“We’re working harder for our dollar these days that’s for sure,” he said.

“Field sizes are bigger these days than they were a few years back, which means you’re more of a chance of drawing a bad gate every now and then as well.

“Also, the new rating system makes it hard to get on a decent horse and win a few on end because they tend to get weighted out of races quicker.

“There are a lot of good riders around. It’s very competitive and you only have to look at the guys on the list such as Bowman, Jeff Penza, Robert Thompson and Brendan Ward in the top five to realise the quality of the guys.”

Not surprisingly Ryan also took out the Central Districts and Western Racing Association premierships by a wide margin.

However the battle for trainers honours in the west was much closer.

Parkes-based George Wright held a two-win lead going into the final meeting of the season at Gilgandra last Saturday but Mudgee’s Brett Thompson was able to land a double with Pending Decision and Cugat Magic to force a tie.

In the Central Districts trainers’ premiership Bathurst’s Sarah Murray Leslie, with 15 winners, placed third behind Garry Lunn (21) and Thompson on 17.

While happy with all the premiership success, Greg Ryan said the Western Districts title is one that he holds dear.

“When I was a kid the only place I could get a ride was in the Western Districts,” he said.

“Nobody would put me on in the Central Districts so I would have to go out west.

“As a result it always means a lot when I do win a Western Districts title because the trainers out there and the places have been very good to me over the past 22 years or so.”