Translate
Former star apprentice trains first city winner at Flemington
Nick Ryan says the transition from jockey to trainer was difficult but Mahamedeis provided the Caulfield-based horseman with his first city winner as a trainer at Saturday’s Flemington meeting.
Ryan joined the likes of Darren Gauci and Damien Oliver as one of the few riders to win a Melbourne jockeys’ title as an apprentice in the 2004/05 season as an 18-year-old.
Weight problems curtailed Ryan’s riding career but he has slowly built a team of horses that grew rapidly during the week as the Aquanita Racing stand-downs took effect.
Mahamedeis wasn’t one of the new arrivals to Ryan’s stable as the trainer bought the son of Magnus for $24,000 but the three-year-old banked $101,000 in prizemoney and bonuses with his determined win in the Patrobas Handicap (2000m).
Mahamedeis firmed from $6 to $5 late in betting but held Almighty Crown ($11) under Ryan Maloney’s riding to score by a long neck while the $2.20 favourite Civil Disobedience was another 2 ¼ lengths third.
“I’m pumped. To do it here at headquarters is pretty special and he’s a progressive horse,” Ryan said.
“It’s been a hard transition, challenging but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. Hopefully it can keep going.
“(The stable) has got a little bit bigger in the last week as everyone knows what has been happening, but I’ve got nearly a barn full at Caulfield and hopefully we can go from there.”
