Nick Ryan narrowly missed out on a hefty VOBIS Gold payday last start with Regardsmaree and the Flemington horseman is hoping to go one better this Saturday at Pakenham.
The six-year-old son of So You Think will run in the $175,000 VOBIS Gold Bullion on the Pakenham Cup Day card.
The 1400-metre event is worth just $25,000 less than the race Ryan contemplated heading to with Regardsmaree, last Saturday’s Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes at Caulfield, but is restricted to paid-up members of the VOBIS Gold scheme.
That is a series Ryan has targeted successfully with Regardsmaree, winning the $250,000 VOBIS Gold Sprint earlier this year, while he earned connections a $37,500 cheque for his last-start second to Winning Partner in the VOBIS Gold Star at The Valley on Cox Pate eve.
“We could have run in the Kevin Heffernan last week but these races really suit him,” Ryan said.
“He won the one at Caulfield and ran second in the one at The Valley, so hopefully he can pinch another one Saturday.
“He went down to St Leonards and had a week or so down the beach, came back and had a soft jumpout. We’ve just kept him fresh given he’s staying at 1400.”
The VOBIS Gold Bullion is one of two Pakenham races Ryan has Regardsmaree entered for, along with the $175,000 David Bourke Memorial Handicap (1200m), but it will be left to Edison and potentially Not To Be Mist will represent the stable in that event.
Ryan also has two nominations in the $300,000 Pakenham Cup (2500m), Vegas Knight and Winifer, but he said they were likely to head elsewhere.
Winifer will run over 2500m Friday night at The Valley, while last-start Moonee Valley winner Vegas Knight will contest the $130,000 Fulmen Park BM78 Handicap (2000m) at Pakenham.
“He galloped at Moonee Valley this morning and he’s trained on nicely.
“Going back through his earlier career with Colin Little, he won at Pakenham, albeit on the synthetic, by about five or six (lengths), but it was still at Pakenham and I think the big track will really suit him.”
Ryan’s other Pakenham Cup Day representative will be Port Albert, who is entered for the $150,000 John Duff & Co 3YO BM70 Handicap (1000m)