Queensland Winter Carnival beckons for Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou’s Franz Josef

Promising three-year-old Franz Josef books himself a ticket to the Queensland Winter Carnival when he took his record to three wins from four starts with victory at Rosehill.

Franz Josef (left) turns the tables on Captain Furai (right) at Rosehill. Picture: Getty Images

Franz Josef gave trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou every reason to keep raising the bar when the highly-promising gelding delivered his most impressive win yet at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

The emerging son of Snitzel is still untapped but highlighted his upside with a dominant performance in the EGroup Protective Services Benchmark 72 Handicap (1500m).

Franz Josef thrived in an on speed role before fighting off the challenge of key rival Captain Furai to boost his record to three wins from his first four career starts.

“I think he is a horse with a lot of upside,” Alexiou said.

“We haven’t got anywhere near the bottom of him yet and we will have a lot of fun with him.

“I think he is a black type horse and where he sits beyond that, I am not really sure.

The flashy chestnut Franz Josef fights hard for his win at Rosehill with @KPMcEvoy in the saddle! 💪@[e-mail]/dNgQfnRG92

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 1, 2024

“You don’t find out those things until you test them but he is a big strong horse and if he can’t get out to a mile or 1800m (I’d be surprised).”

Alexiou indicated a trip to Queensland for the Brisbane Winter Carnival is now on the cards with the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic at Eagle Farm on Stradbroke Day Franz Josef’s next start before the Winx Guineas on the Sunshine Coast.

No doubt star jockey Kerrin McEvoy will be eager to stick with the three-year-old, who provided him with his first winner back from injury.

McEvoy missed the entire The Championships after spending two months on the sidelines with a neck fracture suffered in a fall on Golden Slipper Day.

He had his first day back in the saddle at Canterbury Park on Wednesday and only needed to wait a couple of days later to get back to winning ways.

Franz Josef made life easier for him from an awkward draw in barrier 10 with McEvoy electing to push forward from the jump.

He was able to coast along untroubled out in front before he was required to urge the Ryan-Alexiou galloper along 300m from home.

Franz Josef ($3.70) was headed by the Chris Waller-trained Captain Furai ($4) in the straight but showed his quality to fight off the challenge and race clear for a one and a half-length victory.

Waller’s Kapakiri ($21) was a further two lengths away in third.

Salute the captain! 🧑‍✈️

Captain Furai makes it two wins from two starts!@cwallerracing@mcacajamez@aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/subQTGSOGv

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 15, 2024

“He is a real honest bugger this fella. He is a big, strong,” McEvoy said.

“I was a bit unsure about the ground.

“When he jumped well and wanted to be there, I thought I will just let him free wheel into the first corner and worry about it once we got to the front which is what he did.

“I was happy once he got around the first corner he was handling the ground and too his credit when Josh (Parr on Captain Furai) came to me, I got after him and he picked up.

“He got through the ground and hit the line well so it was a good effort by the big horse.”

Alexiou felt McEvoy played an important part in helping fight off the challenge of Captain Furai to propel Franz Josef to victory.

Captain Furai had beaten Franz Josef first up this preparation on the Kensington track before the result was reversed.

“I think Kerrin rode him really well, he kept a bit in the locker there,” Alexiou said.

“When the other horse got to him, I knew he had something extra there.

“If it was going to be enough, I wasn’t sure but he definitely had a bit of horse there still.”

Franz Josef could be the next star for well-known owners Ron and Judy Wanless.

The Wanless colours of Tartan and Yellow Seams notably enjoyed Group 1 success in the Australasian Oaks in 2011 with Lights Of Heaven.

Inaugural Big Dance winner Rustic Steel, trained by Kris Lees, is another of the Wanless’ talented campaigners.

Originally published as Queensland Winter Carnival beckons for Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou’s Franz Josef