Grebeni puts spring in Gerald Ryan’s step

Gerald Ryan missed out on buying Grebeni once, but he wasn’t about to let him go a second time.

And after the three-year-old made it a hat-trick of wins in the Racing For Good On July 29 Handicap (1800m) at Rosehill on Saturday, he was glad he backed his judgement.

Ryan revealed he liked the son of Ocean Park as a young horse but missed out on him at the sales before a chance conversation offered him a second crack.

“I saw him at Scone, the year of Covid, and I really liked him as a yearling,” Ryan said.

“He went to the Magic Millions sale and I missed him.

“Then Tyreel (Stud) told me he was passed in and I said, ‘how much do you want for him?’.

“They said $100,000 and I said, ‘done’.”

Ryan sent Grebeni to renowned horseman Tim Boland to break in and when Boland came back and asked to take a share, the trainer became even more buoyant.

“The next day he was at the breaker’s and Tim Boland said he wanted to take a share in the horse and that is always a good sign,” he said.

“I am thinking of giving him one more start in the Winx Guineas. We will see how he pulls up, but it is an option.

“If he could win that race it would help get his prizemoney up for the spring.”

Grebeni ($3 fav) showed another string to his bow to lead from an awkward draw on Saturday and while Manbehindthemoney ($3.60) got to within a half-length of him on the line, he had enough in hand to score.

Ryan is keen to target him at the spring and while a race like the Golden Eagle (1500m) is a possibility, the $1 million The Gong (1600m) is the race that makes most appeal to his co-trainer.

“I wouldn’t rule it (Golden Eagle) out because he can reel off such good sectionals,” Ryan said.

“But the race I’d like to set him for in the spring is The Gong.”

Grebeni gave McEvoy an early double after he combined with Chris Waller to snare the opening event on two-year-old Tutta La Vita.