Everest run’s still a hill too far for Ryan
GERALD Ryan has no concerns about Menari running a strong 1400m in the Golden Rose but any talk about The Everest remains off limits until after Saturday’s Group 1 feature.
Ryan has maintained he doesn’t want to run Menari in The Everest at Randwick on October 10 and said the colt’s owner and breeder George Altomonte hadn’t discussed the $10 million race yet.
“Ever since he had his first start (this spring), George said he is not even thinking about The Everest until after the Golden Rose and he has maintained that,” Ryan said
“That’s a decision you make after the Golden Rose and see how he comes out of it.”
Ryan’s preferred option is to set Menari for the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) down the Flemington straight on Derby Day.
“I don’t want to go (to The Everest),” Ryan said.
“Why do you want to take on Redzel and Chautauqua and those horses at this time of year? I would take them on in the autumn but I don’t want to take them on in the spring.”
Menari firmed into a $2 favourite to win Saturday’s Golden Rose at Rosehill after Godolphin yesterday revealed Kementari is in Melbourne already and likely to bypass the Sydney feature.
And Ryan warned his rivals that Menari had only improved since his arrogant Run To The Rose victory this month.
“He has come on a little bit from it,” he said. “He had one run (in the Rosebud) and then a month between runs without a trial (before the Run To The Rose), and I’m just happy with where he is at, and he is fitter.”
If there is a slight query for Menari, it’s the 1400m.
Menari was beaten 8¼ lengths at his only try over the 1400m in the Sires during the autumn but that was on an unsuitable heavy track.
“No problems,” Ryan said about the distance. “I just reckon he will run 1400m.
“I don’t know (if he will get further than 1400m) and I’m not going to try to make him go further this time in, but he does have Tie The Knot in his pedigree so there’s no reason why he wouldn’t run a journey.”
Ryan is hoping to draw a nice gate with Menari so they can ride him a bit more patiently than the Run To The Rose earlier this month.
“I would say (the best way to) ride him is with a sit (and let him finish off),” he said.
“I haven’t had a thing go wrong with him this prep and everything is going good.”
Ryan rated Pariah and Merchant Navy as the two horses he was most concerned about this weekend.
The Sydney trainer will also saddle up Trapeze Artist in the Golden Rose.
“He is probably flying under the radar because of what I’ve run him in,” he said.
“He is going all right and he has come on really good since his last run and improved off it.”