Trainer Gerald Ryan had to wait a week longer than originally expected but still celebrated after l
anding the quinella in the
Group 3 Darley Crown at Rosehill on Saturday.
Ryan proved once again that he's a master horseman, getting the best out of four-year-old mare
Solicit to win the $150,000 contest while the always tough
Peace Force claimed second prize.
SOLICIT (inside) and Peace Force quinella the Gr3 Darley Crown for Dynamic Trainer - GERALD RYAN.
Solicit, the Group 2 winner and Group 1 placegetter was destined for early retirement after finishing a distant 47-1/2 lengths last at Randwick in the Group 3 Aspiration Stakes (1600m) on March 7 however Ryan changed things up and produced a totally different mare to the races on Saturday.
"The owners sent her up to find winning form before she went to stud," Gerald said.
"I gave her a trial after that Randwick flop which she won well, and has done everything right since."
It advances her overall record to 5 wins, 3 seconds and 3 thirds from 21 starts for earnings of $759,850
The Ryan stable have recently set-up a stable at Hawkesbury which they will use to give their Rosehill-based horses a change of scenery and if Solicit's improved performance is a guide, the experiment could prove a raging success.
"We opened it 12 days ago and she was there from day one," Ryan said.
"For a horse like her it just gives them a different environment."
Ridden by Tim Clark, Solicit ($11) looked a spent force turning for home but rallied gamely inside the final 200-metres, bursting through late to score a neck win over stablemate Peace Force ($6.50).
Calming Influence almost managed to lead throughout, holding on for third a further length away.
Race favourite Peron ($3.20) had a luckless run for Jim Cassidy. Posted midfield and three wide early, Cassidy crept closer but was always deep. Peron tried hard and looked the winner 200 metres from home, but the hard work told and she finished fourth.
The Darley Crown was supposed to be run at Hawkesbury last Saturday but was rescheduled after that meeting had to be abandoned after only one race.
When trained in Melbourne by Ellerton and Zahra, Solicit won the Group 2 VRC Kewney Stakes and Group 3 VRC Vanity (1400m) in Melbourne last autumn before running second to Lucia Valentina in the Group 1 ATC Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill.
Solicit is the fifth foal of the stakes-winning, racemare Princesa (Danehill) a three-quarter sister to Group 3 winner and Group 1 placed Kaphero (Danzero) out of the Group 1 winning Centaine mare. Kapchat.
Pricesa is also the dam of Star of Gisele (Reset) whose four stakes wins included the Group 2 SAJC Queen Of The South Stakes, as well as the promising Domesday gelding Ducal Castle who was third in the Listed Blue Diamond Preview and fourth in the Listed Talindert Stakes.
Pricesa has a yearling colt by Medaglia D'Oro (USA) and a weanling filly by Pierro. She was bred back to More Than Ready (USA) last spring.
