Attractable’s victory in the Big Dance has had a huge impact for Sara Ryan who is chasing back-to-back wins in the $3m feature

Sara Ryan may not have had the chance to celebrate Attractable’s win in last year’s Big Dance the enormity of the success has made a huge change to her training career.

Sara Ryan didn’t get much of an opportunity to celebrate her biggest win as a trainer in The Big Dance last year.

Attractable had just taken out the feature race when the young trainer was beset by wellwishers and media.

“It was a surreal moment for me but as soon as Attractable crossed the line, there was 300 cameras in my face,” Ryan said.

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“Then at 3am the next day, I was at the stables cleaning boxes and getting ready for the (barrier) trials.”

But Attractable’s Big Dance win has made a significant long-term difference to the Wyong-based trainer’s career.

“I only had 20 horse in work when Attractable won the raced,” Ryan revealed.

“I now have 45 horses in training.”

Ryan, 30, was only in her second season of training when Attractable won The Big Dance. The young trainer made a lot of people sit up and take notice last year with her skilful management of Attractable, who followed his feature Randwick win with a close second in the Group 2 The Ingham.

Attractable won’t be back to defend his Big Dance title as the gelding is spelling with a minor injury issue, but the trainer will get another opportunity to win the feature Royal Randwick race on Tuesday.

Ryan has qualified giant gelding Money From The Sky for the $3 million The Big Dance (1600m).

Money From The Sky, a gelded son of English superhorse Frankel, stands a towering 17.1 hands and weighs in around 600kg.

“He can be a hard horse to manage, he’s a big, big animal and that puts pressure on every part of his body,” Ryan said.

Attractable takes the BIG DANCE! 🕺🪩💃@Reganbayliss delivers a peach to give Sara Ryan the biggest win of her career. pic.twitter.com/j7ayeCXpvC

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 7, 2023

“But he’s certainly going really well at the moment, I’m very happy with him going into Tuesday.”

Money From The Sky secured his place in the field with his Bathurst Cup win in September. The chestnut managed to hurl his huge frame around the tight Bathurst track to win his qualifier by a widening margin of nearly three lengths.

But bookies are betting $81 about Money From The Sky after he completed his Big Dance preparation with an unplaced effort behind Willaidow over the Randwick 1400m course - although Ryan maintains the run was better than it reads on paper.

“If you look at the times, he ran the second fastest final 600m of that race,” Ryan said,

“It was his usual fast finishing effort.”

Ryan admitted she was concerned Money From The Sky would not make the Big Dance field and was relieved when he scraped into the capacity 20-horse field.

Even Money From The Sky’s wide barrier (17) doesn’t deter Ryan.

“I would rather he be out there than on the rail,” Ryan said.

“Some of the favourites have drawn out wide so it is going to be an interesting race.

“We know Money From The Sky is going to be well back early but he has that wicked turn of foot.

“The big track will suit him and he won’t know himself with 53kg. It’s been a while since he carried that weight.

Money From The Sky wins the Bathurst Cup for @sara_r_racing! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/KwPXsyRCP9

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 15, 2024

“This has been the target race since he qualified and he’s ready to peak on Tuesday.”

One of Money From The Sky’s main rivals is Tavi Time, the $5 equal favourite with Here To Shock and Gringotts.

Tavi Time comes out of the Newcastle stables of Kris Lees, the only other trainer to win the Big Dance after taking out the race’s inaugural running in 2022 with Rustic Steel.

Lees, who also has third emergency and $201 bolter Mayfair Spirit, qualified Tavi Time with a win in the Mudgee Cup last December.

“This race has been 11 months in the planning with Tavi Time,” Lees said.

“He goes to The Big Dance third run in with a mile run under his belt. I’m happy with his preparation and although this is a very tough race, I feel he is up to this level.”

Tavi Time was very impressive last start winning at the Warwick Farm midweeks under 60kg and he drops 7kg for the Big Dance.

“I think Tavi Time profiles like a Randwick mile type of horse,” Lees said.

“But, in time, we will stretch him out over further. Earlier in his career, we were thinking about going to the Queensland Derby when he was narrowly beaten in a 1800m race at Eagle Farm which he should have won and then he had a little setback.

“We’ve kept him to races up to 1600m since and we have had the Big Dance in mind all along this spring.”

Lees is resigned to Gunnedah Cup winner Mayfair Spirit missing a start in the $3 million race, instead joining his stablemates Loch Eagle and Rogue Bear in the consolation, the $750,000 Little Dance (1600m).

A demolition job from the @Leesracing-trained Tavi Time in the @MudgeeRaceClub Cup! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/cncy833VeQ

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 1, 2023

“Mayfair Spirit probably needs to lift but he is working well,” Lees said.

“Loch Eagle was outclassed in the Epsom Handicap last start but he was unlucky in the Cameron Handicap before that and should have been right in the finish.

“He loves the mile and Randwick winning The Ingham last year so that is a good form reference for this race.

“Rogue Bear we have deliberately kept fresh for the Little Dance and he gets his chance to run well.”

The final field for the Big Dance is determined by results from 34 country cups and a Wild Card race through the season which shine a positive light on country racing.

Lees has prepared more than 2600 winners during his outstanding training career and won 17 Group 1 races including the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Sydney Cup, Tancred Stakes, Randwick Guineas and VRC Oaks, but winning the Big Dance with Rustic Steel was particularly satisfying.

“This race has been really well received, the concept works for sure,” Lees said.

The champion Newcastle trainer said The Big Dance continues to develop into a very good feature Randwick mile race, adding “it will take some winning on Tuesday.”

“When you are adding stakes races from the provincial areas, there is going to be more depth to the field,” Lees said. “I think it is going to be a very good race.”

Originally published as Attractable’s victory in the Big Dance has had a huge impact for Sara Ryan who is chasing back-to-back wins in the $3m feature