Extreme conditions won’t bother Ryan’s Lady

What began as a favour for a friend has become one of Blake Ryan’s biggest training success stories. When Lady Extreme arrived at his Hawkesbury stable, she was meant to stay only briefly before being retired to stud. But just hours before her scheduled departure, owner-breeder Luke Wilkinson made a phone call that changed everything. “Luke rang me on the Monday morning and said, ‘Do you want to have a go with her? No expectations,’” Ryan said.

Since then, Lady Extreme has flourished, racing 12 times for five wins and amassing $270,000 in prizemoney. She will line up in Saturday’s Congratulations James McDonald Handicap at Rosehill, having last run sixth in the Ramornie Handicap (1200m) at Grafton.

While optimistic, Ryan knows the mare faces a challenge with topweight of 60.5kg, her first attempt at 1400m, and potentially testing track conditions. “She’ll give her all as always, but the combination of weight, distance and a heavy track will test her,” Ryan said. “Still, she’s in great order, and it’s been a fantastic prep.”

Lady Extreme has become a key horse for Ryan’s 35-box stable. “A Saturday-class galloper makes such a difference,” Ryan said. “You get one winner midweek and a handful of messages, but a Saturday win brings a flood of attention.”

With two wins from three runs this campaign, Lady Extreme has already exceeded expectations. Ryan hopes her performances can open new doors. “It would be great to find a few more like her. We’ve got around a dozen in work now and a good batch of young ones coming through,” he said.