IT’S A Saga started her racing career for her campdrafting owners with a first- up win at Tamworth on Tuesday on what became something of a storybook day for her winning jockey, Greg Ryan.
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The Dubbo hoop rode four winners on a day where he collected the Tamworth Jockey Club’s jockeys’ premiership trophy from the club for his successful recent season.
Ryan had started the day well, winning aboard It’s A Saga, following up with All That Excites in the second, snaring the fifth, and a double for Scone trainer Luke Griffith with Terwen Destiny and then knocking over the sixth for Muswellbrook trainer Nathan Doyle aboard Chiliad.
Ryan believes there are many more wins in store for the three-year-old gelding who jumped well to trail Coop’N’Demp by a half length into the straight.
He then sprinted clear to snare a length and three quarter win from Blinkin Elle in Tuesday’s Laser Plumbing 3YO Country Plate (1000m).
Sue Grills trains the gelding son of Real Saga for her husband John Grills and his brother David Grills as well as a group of “campdrafters”
“They’re all from up around Kentucky and Uralla I think,” Grills said.
“They’re all campdrafters and formed a syndicate.
“I went to the Magic Millions ready-to-run sale and bought this bloke for just $8000.
“He had a preparation but went a bit sore and we spelled him.
“He was a bit immature too so we gave him a bit of time.
“He did have a trial in his first prep.”
On notching his fourth win aboard the Nathan Doyle-trained Chiliad, after running down odds on favourite and unbeaten Capitano for a short head win, Ryan joked to Nathan Doyle.
“There’s your Christmas present,” he said.
“Yeah, I needed that,” Doyle replied.
Ryan said the six-year-old gelding, who has now won four from 28 starts, travelled well throughout.
Doyle said his gelding “works like a Group horse”.
“When I got him from Dynamic Syndications they said he’d never win another race.
“He’s won three for me now.
“But Greg did give him a peach of a ride too.”
Doyle has eight horses in work at Muswellbrook and the former Denman Devil rugby league player was also delighted with the quick time – 1min 8.97secs.
