Williamsburg waiting game pays off for Gerald Ryan, Sterling Alexiou in The Ingham

A scratching has opened the door for the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained Williamsburg to cause an upset in the $2m The Ingham at Randwick on Saturday.

Williamsburg (Kerrin McEvoy) wins the Dulcify Stakes in October last year. Picture: Jenny Evans / Getty Images

Williamsburg’s unlucky run was looking like getting even worse when the smart entire landed among the emergencies in Saturday’s $2m The Ingham (1600m) at Royal Randwick.

Trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou had made the plan before his luckless second to Phearson in the Group 3 Festival Stakes to back up Williamsburg this weekend.

But the smart son of Snitzel had to sweat on a start in The Ingham until Michael Freedman was forced to scratch Excellent Proposal on Friday due to a temperature.

Freedman’s loss was Ryan and Alexiou’s gain, with the training partnership confident Williamsburg can play a significant role in this week’s main event.

Williamsburg was unlucky not to win the Festival Stakes after striking interference in the straight with connections taking matters in the Stewards’ room.

Phearson survived a protest to claim the feature race of the day at #RosehillGardens in the G3 @JamesSquire Festival Stakes.

Good win for @tomo_sherry and trainer @BWiddupRacing.

pic.twitter.com/HOrvNVH6sV

— Australian Turf Club (@aus_turf_club) December 2, 2023

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The protest proved unsuccessful but Williamsburg pulled up from the run in top order as he looks to claim a valuable Group 2 win.

“He came through last week race really good,” Ryan said.

“He has backed up well before when he won as a two-year-old and then ran well in the Champagne and then backed up well in the Shannon Stakes and then went into the Epsom.

“We know he’s done it well before so hopefully he can do it again.”

Williamsburg won the Fernhill Handicap as a two-year-old before finishing third in the Champagne Stakes on a seven-day back-up. This preparation, he was runner-up in the Shannon Stakes to Cepheus – another rival in Saturday’s The Ingham – before running midfield in the Group 1 Epsom. He was a 3.4-length sixth in the Silver Eagle behind Vienna Princess and 14th in The Damien Oliver at Flemington before his Festival Stakes effort.

The TAB rates Williamsburg a $19 chance in The Ingham, the same quote as his Festival Stakes rival Phearson.

Trainer Gerald Ryan. Picture: Mark Evans / Getty Images

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Ryan and Alexiou will hunt a winning double on the car with stablemate Deficit in the Jack Ingham AO Benchmark 78 Handicap (1600m).

Deficit heads into the race ready to peak third up from a spell after he was last seen finishing fifth on an unsuitable heavy track at Kembla Grange last month.

Josh Parr, who returns to Sydney after piloting Overpass to victory in the Winterbottom Stakes last Saturday at Ascot, will ride Deficit.

Deficit is an $11 contender.