Flemington trainer Nick Ryan with long-range plan with Queensland Carnival hopeful Winnasedge

Last Saturday’s impressive Flemington winner Highvol will have company on his flight to Brisbane as trainer Nick Ryan develops a long-range plan with another smart sprinter from his team.

Trainer Nick Ryan will take a small team of horses to Queensland for the Brisbane Winter Carnival. Picture: Racing Photos

Campaigning in Queensland for the winter could form part of trainer Nick Ryan’s plan to pinch an autumn Group 1 win with a talented young sprinter.

Ryan confirmed unbeaten two-year-old Highvol would head to Brisbane after his win at Flemington last Saturday but smart three-year-old Winnasedge would also be on a flight north.

Winnasedge has had a busy three-year-old season, winning four of his 11 runs, but has shown Ryan enough to indicate he would continue to develop as he matured in the coming months.

Ryan noted Winnasedge performed well behind the subsequent Group 1 winner Reserve Bank two starts back in Adelaide, which could make the gelding a lightweight chance in an autumn feature sprint.

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“He’s just an honest good horse,” Ryan said. “We might look to have a light spring with him.

“Without being too ambitious, we might aim him up at an Oakleigh Plate or something like that.

“He ran third behind Reserve Bank, who came out and won The Goodwood, in the Tobin Bronze (Stakes) in Adelaide.”

Ryan said Winnasedge would run in the Listed Queensland Day Stakes at Eagle Farm on June 7 before connections plotted their next move with the son of Cliff’s Edge.

Winnasedge could find himself in next year's Oakleigh Plate if he continues to develop. Picture: Racing Photos

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Ryan had a plan to run Highvol in both the Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm on May 31 and the Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m) at fortnight later.

The former top jockey said both horses were likely to enjoy a break in the Queensland sun before deciding whether to aim Highvol at the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas in the spring.

Broadsiding easily won last year’s JJ Atkins before he was beaten as an odds-on favourite in the Caulfield Guineas.

However, Chris Waller has completed the feature double with Press Statement and The Autumn Sun in recent years.

“It’s a quick turnaround from the JJ to the Caulfield Guineas and not many horses have a good record of coming back for it,” Ryan said.

“We may have a look at a light spring and look at the autumn. It’s on a day-to-day basis.

“It’s all performance-based.”

Highvol will be heading north to tackle a Group 1 target next month. Picture: Racing Photos

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While Ryan is keen to see two young horses fire in Brisbane, he said he was eagerly awaiting the return of import Louis Barthas from a minor injury sustained when placing third at his first run for the stable on March 30.

Ryan was also keen to meet Louis Barthas’ part-owner, the famous English football manager and raconteur Harry Redknapp.

“I haven’t met Harry yet but I can’t wait until I do,” Ryan said.

“He’s a lovely horse, Louis Bathans, but he chipped a knee at Sale.

“It’s unfortunate that he got injured because he would have gone ‘bang, bang, bang’ because he’s such a low-rated horse.”

Originally published as Flemington trainer Nick Ryan with long-range plan with Queensland Carnival hopeful Winnasedge