Gerald Ryan hopeful of Eye Liner Stakes win with Dances On Stars

GERALD Ryan will rely on talented three-year-old Dances On Stars to deliver him another Eye Liner Stakes this weekend.

An eye for the Stars

IN the absence of Ipswich specialist Adnocon, Gerald Ryan will rely on talented three-year-old Dances On Stars to deliver him another Eye Liner Stakes this weekend.

Adnocon won the 2010 and 2011 Eye Liners before finishing third to Belltone last year.

"We were trying to get him ready for another crack at it but he pulled up a bit sore after his last trial (in April), so we decided to retire him," Ryan said.

"We've had a bit of luck in that race, because Gullcatcher and Shivirgo also ran placings in it.''

Ryan will also have Planetarium running in the Ipswich Cup on Saturday, with both of his runners to be ridden by Brenton Avdulla, who begins a suspension incurred for his ride on Howmuchdoyouloveme in Saturday's Lightning after the Ipswich meeting.

Dances On Stars hit the line strongly behind Sizzling in the Queensland Guineas on June 1 and Ryan is comfortable taking on the older horses this week.

"The owners weren't keen to run from the bad barrier (in the Guineas), but what it did was make us ride him properly,'' Ryan said.

"We rode him off the speed when he won at Rosehill in December, but the way he was ridden at Doomben (when sitting outside the leader in the Fred Best) is not the way to ride him.

"He doesn't have to go back to last, but if we ride him quiet and there's a bit of speed on, he can finish off strongly.''

Last start Eagle Farm winner Planetarium will step up to stakes grade for the first time in his 32-start career when he runs in the Ipswich Cup.

"It's going to be a step up in grade for him, but it's the only race available,'' Ryan said.

Hot Snitzel will be spelled to prepare for the Melbourne spring and another crack at the Brisbane carnival next year after his sixth in the Stradbroke.

"He ran super in both his last two runs, but he probably just doesn't quite run out a strong 1400m,'' he said.