Ryan backs Damaging runner to claim victory
GERALD Ryan has labelled Damaging the pick of his runners at Kembla Grange today as the Sydney trainer prepares to saddle up three top chances.
Damaging broke through for his maiden win with a comfortable 1½-length victory over 1300m on the Beaumont track last start and Ryan said the four-year-old hasn’t taken a backward step since.
“We went forward on him the other day and his first prep he didn’t live up to race day on what he showed in trials,” Ryan said.
“He is a big strong horse who is learning his craft and he is going the right way.
“He has come on since his win the other day and I would say (he would be the pick of my runners).”
Ryan is upbeat he can leave Kembla Grange today with multiple winners and also talked up the chances of Teodosio (race four) and Cool Dude Ausbred (race seven).
Teodosio finished third to the promising Beacon on debut at Wyong and the overall winning time was .26sec quicker than the two-year-old fillies posted over the same distance (1100m) on the same day.
“It looked a good race on paper and the time backed it up,” Ryan said.
“He ran well and he has done well since. You would think he would improve off that and he only had a couple of jump-outs and one trial before going to the races and they very rarely win (on debut) off one trial.”
Apprentice James Innes Jr will ride Teodosio for the first time under race conditions.
“James has done most of the work on him,” Ryan said.