Racing
Ryan on weather watch with Arctic Glamour
Connections of classy mare Arctic Glamour are hopeful the rain forecast for Sydney dodges Randwick.
Arctic Glamour's aversion to wet tracks has trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou keeping a nervous watch on the Sydney weather ahead of her scheduled return in the Guy Walter Stakes at Randwick.
The five-year-old hasn't won in six tries on soft ground, and not wanting to waste a run, Ryan says they will revert to Plan B if Randwick is wet come race day.
"We will know on Saturday morning at 7.30 (AEDT)," Ryan said.
"If she doesn't run Saturday, she will go to Newcastle. But she won't be running on rain-affected ground."
The alternative option is the Newcastle Stakes (1400m) at the Hunter track on March 6, although Ryan is hoping the local weather holds and Arctic Glamour can kick off in the Guy Walter Stakes (1400m).
The mare is sharp first-up, claiming the Group 2 Hot Danish Stakes (1400m) on resumption in the spring, and he feels she is going equally as well leading into this preparation.
"As good as ever. Her fresh record is great, she's had seven goes for two wins, a second and a third, and there was one race first-up at Randwick you could just put a line through," Ryan said.
"Her first trial was good. She probably ran out of a bit of puff.
"Then the other day we went back and rode her quiet and she hit the line really well - I didn't want her to have a hard trial, I wanted her to run home for 300 or 400 metres, and she did that really well."
Tom Sherry has the ride on Arctic Glamour from barrier four and a solid return could see her head to the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at her home track of Rosehill a fortnight from Saturday.
Ray Thomas talks to Gerald Ryan about Arctic Glamour's return in the Guy Walter Stakes
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| Ray Thomas talks to Gerald Ryan about Arctic Glamour's return in the Guy Walter Stakes |
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