Jockey Greg Ryan turned it on with style winning three of the first four races, and finishing second in the other, at Towac Park’s New Year’s meeting on Tuesday.
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“I just got beaten in the second race unfortunately but it’s a good day so far,” he said after riding All Too Good to a come-from-last win in the fourth event over 1000 metres.
Ryan said Orange’s overnight rain had helped more than the farmers as he was make good use of the tricky surface.
“I’ve got some good rides today but the track’s had a bit of rain here last night, the track’s a bit softer inside which has just suited a couple of my horses pretty well,” he said.
“They have got into the right part of the track where it’s a little bit firmer.
“Two of them have been the best horses in the race, one of them not so much.
“They just got on the right line on the track and been the best horse on the day.”
All Too Good, trained by Gary Portelli, was returning from a spell at Towac Park.
It eased out of equal favouritism late in the betting to start second favourite behind Unimpeded.
Unimpeded, trained by Bjorn Baker and ridden by Chad Lever, caused some concern with an upset entrance to the track but that soon ended when the race started.
Unimpeded ran strongly at the front of the eight horse field until being beaten virtually on the line by All Too Good.
Normally I’d be giving too much ground away doing that but he was still able to win.
- Greg Ryan, jockey on All Too Good
Ryan said All Too Good started slower with the pace faster in a shorter distance race than it had been used to.
“He was running over a bit further, another 400 to 600 metres at his last preparation, he’s first back from a spell today,” he said.
“He just couldn’t go the pace early.
“Normally I wouldn’t have been able to win the race from where he got to but with the track having rain on it last night and being soft on the inside today it has allowed him to get back there and keep the momentum going around the outside of the field.
“Normally I’d be giving too much ground away doing that but he was still able to win.”
Ryan said the rain and track condition may have been the difference.
“It can play into someone’s hands,” he said.
“It probably came against the second horse [Unimpeded], who’s not very big first up, who got up there on the speed as you would want over 1000 metres, but was probably doing a bit of work during the softer going and my bigger and stronger horse got over the top in the end.”
Ryan, a regular at Towac Park, said Tuesday was one of his best results in the early races at the venue.
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David Fitzsimons
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
