Kembla, Kempsey previews: Blake Ryan chasing second training double in a week

Hawkesbury trainer Blake Ryan is keen to continue a milestone week for his stable with a pair of strong chances at Kembla Grange.

Trainer, Blake Ryan is hunting his second training double in a week. Picture: AAP Image-Simon Bullard

Blake Ryan is determined to see the best stretch of his young training career continue when leading contenders Lady Extreme and Call Me Grouchy travel to Kembla Grange on Thursday.

The Hawkesbury trainer endured a tough start to the season but now has his small team firing on all cylinders in what has become his best campaign to date.

Last month, Kote delivered Ryan the biggest win of his career when the speedy gelding captured the $200,000 Thunder Thousand at Newcastle.

This week he had his first training double with Nefertari and Shadow Express both saluting on home turf on Tuesday.

“Tuesday was a great day,” Ryan said.

“It was my first double anywhere and I don’t often have two runners anywhere but they both got two pearler rides.”

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Nefertari gets the nose down to claim Race 5 at Hawkesbury for @blakeryan86! pic.twitter.com/5PctnM6Cd7

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 18, 2024

Ryan could make it two doubles in three days with Lady Extreme and Call Me Grouchy both given great chances in their respective assignments.

Lady Extreme is making her return from a spell in the Become An Itc Member Today Class 1 (1000m).

The Extreme Choice mare put together a win and a second in two runs in her maiden preparation last December and is a $4.20 chance to return a winner in a competitive first up test.

“I couldn’t be happier with the way she is going,” Ryan said.

“I think she is going really well and I think she has improved. All the problems she had as a young horse seem to be behind her.’

“She jumped out really well, trialled really well behind Sneaky Paige and if it came up a pretty ordinary race, I would be confident but there is probably six chances in it.”

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Lady Extreme had been under the care of Ciaron Maher but never had a start with the national premiership winning trainer before joining Ryan.

Ryan elected to give her a lengthy break following her short debut campaign with the stable last year and believes she will benefit from the break.

“She was up a long time before she went to the races last preparation so I just wanted to give her a long time to keep maturing,” Ryan said.

“And we wanted to get her back in time for the softer tracks.

“Not because she is a wet tracker but I don’t want her on concrete either so a bit of give in the track at this time of year should suit her.

“I think she is midweek city grade.”

Jay Ford takes the ride on Lady Extreme. Picture: Jeremy Ng-Getty Images

Jay Ford, who bagged a winning hat-trick last Saturday at Rosehill Gardens, will pilot Lady Extreme first up against the likes of Ballet D’esprit and To The Extreme.

Call Me Grouchy is no star but finds a winnable race to break his maiden in the Peroni Super 4yo&up Maiden Handicap (1200m).

The son of Churchill is having his fourth start in the sprint test having finished fourth, sixth and sixth in his first three starts at Gosford, Wyong and Hawkesbury respectively.

Ryan believes track conditions could hold the key for the four-year-old.

“He might want further than 1200m now but I am interested to see him first time on a decent track,” he said.

“Gosford was a soft 5 when he went really well first up and his next two runs have been on heavy tracks.

“I thought he was alright the other day and while these races are around for him, we will keep running him in them.”

Call Me Grouchy will be ridden by Tyler Schiller and is a $3.40 second elect from the Ron Leemon-trained Euromaster ($2.80).

Euromaster has finished second in three of his four starts to date but carries topweight of 59.5kg.

QUINN’S CHAMPS CONTENDER CAN STAR IN CUP

Trainer Marc Quinn is trusting Auzstar to show the class that saw him snare a Country Championships berth when he takes on Thursday’s Wauchope RSL Club Wauchope Cup (1450m) at Kempsey.

Auzstar delivered one of the biggest wins of Quinn’s training career when the gelding led home a stable quinella in the $150,000 Mid-North Coast qualifier at Tuncurry in February.

The son of Zoustar went on to finish 10th in the $1 million final and has remained in work since then with Quinn confident he’s ready to claim another feature win this week.

“I think he is still going well and if he runs up to his Scone run, he will be really hard to beat,” Quinn said.

“He is a really honest horse and always tries. It’s whether he is good enough in some races but in this sort of grade he shouldn’t be far away.”

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Quinn has spaced Auzstar’s runs in order to keep him firing at the top of his game with the gelding finishing fourth in the $90,000 Country Cup at Scone six weeks after the Country Champs.

“He went really good at Scone and was just a bit flat footed at the top of the straight and ground it out well,” Quinn said.

“We ran him into race in town after that when he got three deep but saw this race coming up and thought if he can run 1450m with a good run from barrier 5.”

Ben Looker pilots Auzstar on Thursday. Picture: Jeremy Ng-Getty Images

Auzstar is a $4 second elect for the Wauchope Cup, which has been rescheduled from last Sunday due to the state of the track.

Star mid-North Coast rider Ben Looker has been tasked with piloting Auzstar.

Quinn will also take unraced filly Simply Divine to Kempsey for her maiden start in the “Vilified” Bainsbridge Farm Maiden Plate (1000m).

The daughter of Divine Prophet is a $31 outsider and failed to beat a runner home in her most recent trial but Quinn believes she has more ability than that suggests.

“She has got a bit of ability,” Quinn said.

“Her last trial looks average on paper but she started getting clods in the face when she got in behind them and hit the skids from there.

“I have put the blinkers on her and we are just hoping she handles the heavy track.”

Gun hoop Jenny Duggan pilots Simply Divine.

Originally published as Kembla, Kempsey previews: Blake Ryan chasing second training double in a week