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Ryan Mark is taking in a week at Raglan to ready him for the defence of his Gr.1 Railway Stakes title on New Year’s Day.
Hard tracks have taken their toll on the leading sprinter, but trainer John Morell is still hopeful of having the six-year-old at Ellerslie for the Sistema-sponsored feature.
“At this stage, we’re still heading toward the Railway,” he said.Morell has regularly sent Ryan Mark to his friend Pim Blair to work the son of Thorn Park at the beach.
“He loves it over there. It’s doing him the world of good and I’ll have him back on Sunday,” he said.“He’s looking bright enough and we’ll see how he is when he’s put under a bit of pressure.”
Ryan Mark finished runner-up in the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint at Te Rapa in early November, but tailed the field home earlier this month in the Gr.3 Concorde Handicap at Ellerslie.“He was a bit sore afterwards,” Morell said. “I’ve had a lot of trouble with his feet and I thought it was that, but the vet said it was his knee.
“At first, I wasn’t that disappointed with his run as he badly needed it and he was only a bit over three lengths from the winner.”Meanwhile, Ryan Mark’s former stablemate and Gr.2 Travis Stakes winner Lauren Tate is safely in foal to Tavistock.
“I’ve also got her mother Haylee Baylee in foal to Pins,” Morell said. “She’s out of an Oregon mare and that’s the same cross as Ambitious Dragon. I’ve also got a colt out of her by Ferlax.”