Cover image courtesy of Inglis
Blake Ryan Racing has 15 entries in the Inglis Ready2Race Sale and spoke to TTR AusNZ about his graduates from his sale and his draft. Ryan has been selling at this sale since 2017 and over time has improved the level of the stock, he’s been able to present as the returns from previous years are reinvested into yearlings the following year.
A growth mindset over time
“There are different aspects to it,” Ryan said when asked what he’s most proud of with regards to the Inglis Ready2Race Sale. “What they go and do on the track at any level is exciting. We’ve sold Group winners through to multiple winners in Hong Kong, then some for very little money that have won in the county and their owners got returns on them.
“It starts with going out to farms pre-yearling sale and looking at horses, then inspecting everything at the sales. I try to get the right horses for this sale, then put them through our system. I enjoy seeing how they grow and improve. I’ve been fortunate to have a good team and a trusted system to educate them and get them up to sales stage.
“We’ve built our mantra on being a seller. We rarely take a horse home and we look at it as a portfolio rather than individual return on investment. We’ve sold a few at a loss, like the Duporth who we bought for 50 and sold for 35, and then he went out and won four. Others we’ll pay a hundred for and sell for 250 and he’ll cover the costs of the others. We want buyers to know they can always get a horse off us, and we only buy ones that we like.”
Blake Ryan | Image courtesy of Inglis
The Duporth in question is Brave Dreams, who Ryan purchased at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $50,000, then sold at the Inglis ReadyToRace Sale for $35,000 to David Raphael. He ended up doing all his racing in Hong Kong where he’s, to date, won four of his 25 starts with earnings over HK5million (AU$974,000).
“You’ve just got to sell. It’s my number one rule, meet the market. I tell my clients if they aren’t ready to do that, I don’t want them. It’s a waste of our time. I have only two rules: get them ready as if they are a racehorse, not a sale horse, and meet the market. It’s working for us so far, percentage wise, we are getting a high percentage of winners.”
“You’ve just got to sell. It’s my number one rule, meet the market. I tell my clients if they aren’t ready to do that, I don’t want them. It’s a waste of our time. I have only two rules: get them ready as if they are a racehorse, not a sale horse, and meet the market.” - Blake Ryan
At the 2020 sale, where Brave Dreams went through, Blake Ryan Racing offered 20 horses. Four were withdrawn, and three were passed in. Of the 20, only five are not winners (to date) and Golden Monkey (Star Turn) won the Listed Singapore Derby, while Imatruestar (Star Turn) turned his $22,000 price tag into over $217,000 on the track with three wins including recently running third in the 2024 G3 Newcastle Newmarket Handicap.
The reputation of the sale is changing for the better
“The reputation of the sale is changing. (I’m proud that) I’ve been a small part of voicing that. When I first decided to be a trainer, I thought how can I get my name out there, so I started trading a few. I started with four the first year, eight the next, and it kept growing until I do around 16 each year now. The first year I subleased four boxes off my old man and I remember getting to the sales and I had people asking 'Why doesn't Gerald want these?” Because they aren’t his, they are mine!”
Of those four, three are winners led by Great Harvest (Harbour Watch {Ire}) who sold for $80,000 and has won four of his 27 starts in Hong Kong with earnings over HK$2 million (AU$378,000).
Great Harvest | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
“It took me a while to hammer that into everyone. People would say ‘bloody breeze up horses’ because (the sale had a reputation that) they’d been revved up, so I decided to do it differently. I wasn’t going to ruin horses. I wanted ones that I’d be happy training afterwards. There were a few of us (vendors) who decided that if we didn’t do it properly, we weren’t going to have a return business.”
“... I decided to do it differently. I wasn’t going to ruin horses. I wanted ones that I’d be happy training afterwards. There were a few of us (vendors) who decided that if we didn’t do it properly, we weren’t going to have a return business.” - Blake Ryan
In 2021, Ryan had 18 catalogued, with two withdrawn, and only four of the 18 have yet to win. And the story is similar in 2022 with 25 horses offered for 16 winners already, and last year, the just-turned 3-year-olds of the draft of 2023 where 21 horses were catalogued (four withdrawn) and they’ve already had four winners at two with much more to come as they mature.
“Then Inglis worked with us, the few vendors who were on same wavelength, and now it’s better across the board for everyone. These are horses you can take home, give them a break, and then race. Ours are off their third preparation. We spend more time, and present a better product, and then you get your buyers coming back. We are all pushing the bus together.
“Part of that is lifting everyone – if everyone presents a better product, that’s good for the sale and good for us. I’m never jealous of others because a good sale is good across the board. If I see a good horse come out of the sale, no matter who sold it, it looks good for the sale.”
The highlights of Ryan's draft
“The Super Seth is a gun. He’s from a good farm, has a Cambridge Stud brand and we bought him off Bhima. He’s by a gun stallion, got a great attitude and a great action. He had a quiet breeze. The jockey loved him, raved about him and said he’ll make a nice 1400-metre to 1600-metre horse.” Lot 131, the 2-year-old colt is by Super Seth from Racing Nadine (Bernardini {USA}) whose first three foals are all winners. This is the family of G1 Spring Champion S. winner Tom Kitten (Harry Angel {Ire}), Group 1 winner He’s No Pie Eater (Canny Lad), and further back to Redoute’s Choice.
Gallery: Some of the 2-year-olds prepared by Blake Ryan Racing
“The Anders went like a rocket and the Bivouac went with him. Put the Bivouac with nearly anything else and he’s looks special too.” Lot 140, the Anders colt out of two-time winner Rebel Cry (Street Cry {Ire}), who traces back to fourth dam Piccadilly Circus (Royal Academy {USA}), the dam of Group 1 winner and Champion Sire Fastnet Rock, breezed in 10.6s and put a length on Lot 150. The Bivouac gelding from G2 Dane Ripper S. winner Set For Fame (Reset) completed the furlong in 10.77s. Set For Fame has already produced R. Listed Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic winner Madeenaty (Exceed And Excel).
How the sale has changed over time
In the 2024 catalogue, only 11 of the 196 lots haven’t been seen at a public auction before. All the rest were either catalogued as weanlings or yearlings.
“Three years ago, it was enough to buy a horse to flick over, but you have to like them enough to buy them. The best ones every year, from this sale, are the ones you bought as yearlings because you like them enough to buy them and to take the risk on them. I think that makes the sale better because it’s no longer a dumping ground for rejects. It’s a smaller catalogue, and the horses are targeted here specifically. I tell my clients If no one wants them as yearlings, no one is going to want them now.”
“The best ones every year, from this sale, are the ones you bought as yearlings because you like them enough to buy them and to take the risk on them.” - Blake Ryan
“Last year we sold Tai Victory who was given back to me to train. He won at Goulburn at his first start and has now been sent to Hong Kong.” Tai Victory (Calyx {GB}), a 3-year-old gelding won as a June 2-year-old.
“He’s In Like Flynn is another from last year who went to Hong Kong. I think if he’d stayed here, he’d be a stakes horse. The stakes stats from this sale are nearly irrelevant. Most of them go overseas, and if they end up in Hong Kong they can win three or four races and over half a million.” He’s In Like Flynn (Showtime) won on debut in July as a 2-year-old. He was purchased by Newgate from Nolen Racing for $350,000 and sent to Blake Ryan to train after the sale.
Other draft highlights
“The Unite And Conquer comes off the same farm as Beer Baron. He ran a good time, and is a big strong horse who moves well.” Lot 47, he breezed in 10.57 and is out of winning mare Falqueen (Falbrav {Ire}) who has produced six winners to date and is a half-sister to Listed Scone Cup winner Obvious Choice (Redoute’s Choice).
Gallery: Some of the 2-year-olds prepared by Blake Ryan Racing
“The King’s Legacy breezed well, and so did the Cool Aza Beel. The Hellbent is very nice, and the Harry Angel is a lovely horse.”
King’s Legacy gelding, Lot 177, breezed in 10.64 and is a half-brother to three winners, out of Swish (Street Cry {Ire}) who is a daughter of Listed Widden S. winner Georgette Silk (Flying Spur). Cool Aza Beel has two lots in this draft with Lot 141 breezing in 10.83 and Lot 153 breezing in 11.40.
Hellbent colt, Lot 19, is the fourth foal of winning mare Bold Runner (Choisir) whose first foal is a winner.
“The future bodes well for this group of first season sires if ours are anything to go by. There’s a good half dozen there (in this draft) that if they came back to me to train, I wouldn’t be complaining. I’m happy with our draft this year.”
