GREG Ryan has picked up plenty of accolades in his stellar career and yesterday the talented jockey added another to his resume as he joined the rare club of those who have ridden multiple Soldier’s Saddle winners at Bathurst’s Tyers Park.
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The Soldier's Saddle, held each year on ANZAC Day, is one of the most sought after trophies offered at Bathurst and as such, the race attracts not only strong runners from local stables but classy metropolitan chances as well.
Back in 2003 Ryan got the job done for Michael Wales when Branch Of Gold was first home in the 1400 metre feature and when Warwick Farm trainer Marc Conners wanted someone to ride Pimpala Secret for him in the 2011 edition, he looked to the same jockey.
“He does win big races, that’s why I put him on,” Conners said of Ryan.
“His last ride for me he won the Snake Gully Cup at Gundagai and he came out and won again for me today.”
In picking up his second Soldier’s Saddle win, Ryan joined Cowra champion Mathew Cahill (2007, 2001, 1997) and Troy Phillips (1995, 1999) as a multiple winner of the prestigious event.
Not surprisingly it was another top ride as Ryan guided Pimpala Secret along the rails in the home straight to take the lead.
From there Conners was always confident his three-year-old gelding would win the $20,000 race.
“I wasn’t nervous, not when he hit the front, I knew he would win,” Conners said.
“It was an experiment for the horse that won, he has a lot of ability but basically hadn’t been racing as good as we would have liked.
“Today was just a trip away, he had a good barrier, a good rider and everything just went to plan. When you draw barrier one it makes it so much easier.”
While Pimpala Secret started as the $2.80 favourite on the NSW TAB and the $4 second elect on course behind Hawkesbury runner Centover ($3.20), it was $26 outsider Delightful Emperor who started the best.
Apprentice Lauri Wray settled Delightful Emperor 13/4 lengths ahead of Bathurst hopefuls So Light and So Genourous, but Ryan had Pimpala Secret well positioned in fourth.
By the 800 metre mark Ryan had worked the Monashee Mountain x Secret Dancer gelding up into third behind Delightful Emperor and So Light and the favourite was travelling well.
However, there was still work for Ryan to do.
Sarah Murray-Leslie’s So Light closed to within three-quarters of the lead with 500 to go then pushed on to the head of the field into the straight, the Bathurst trainer so excited she ran up alongside the track to try and will her chance home.
Another Bathurst trainer, Don Ryan, would have liked what he saw as So Genourous wound up and made his challenge, but in the end there was to be no home track success story.
Pimpala Secret surged along the rails for Ryan to win by 11/4 lengths over Hewentwhoosh ($6, Kody Nestor) while So Light ($17, Lane Moloney) hung on for an impressive third.
It was the fourth win of Pimpala Secret’s nine-start career and gave Conners the Soldier’s Saddle he came so close to winning in 2008 when another member of his team, Global Start, ran second to Dynamite Dancer.
“It is a good feeling to win, when you bring a horse up from the city and you get beat it doesn’t feel very nice at all,” Conners said. “It’s sensational here today, that is one of the reasons I like coming here on this day, there’s a big crowd in and it is really great.”
