PMC HEROINE RYAN'S NEW FOCUS TO BECOME A STAKES WINNER

SARA Ryan’s second feature triumph at Royal Randwick has fuelled her desire to take her training career to another level – and win a stakes race.

And it could be none other than Brisbane’s richest sprint, the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap, with Matcha Latte, the horse she has lovingly “repaired” to good health to land yesterday’s $1m Provincial-Midway Championships Final (1400m).

The talented young Wyong trainer added the annual feature to her $3m Big Dance (1600m) success at Randwick in November 2023 with Attractable.

Matcha Latte ($4.20), perfectly ridden by Newcastle based Ash Morgan, wouldn’t surrender after hitting the front in the straight and prevented leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees winning the race for the sixth time.

Heavily-backed $2.70 favorite Lord Of Biscay (James McDonald) tried his hardest and couldn’t quite overhaul the winner, and the runner-up’s stablemate Imposant (Jason Collett) ran home well to finish third at $31, albeit a couple of lengths behind.

Five-year-old gelding Matcha Latte, having only his 15th start, was his trainer’s 53rd career winner, and 16th this season.

Ryan this morning said Matcha Latte had pulled up well, and announced plans to set him for the $3m Group 1 Stradbroke (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 14.

“Matcha Latte will have a week in the paddock kicking up his heels, and deserves it,” she said.

“The Provincial-Midway Championships have been my focus, but I now really want to win a stakes race.

“The Stradbroke has been at the back of my mind, and I feel it’s a race worth aiming for.

“Matcha Latte is such an honest and versatile horse that he can be ridden anywhere in the field.

“Ash (Morgan) gave him a great ride yesterday, and now has won two from two on him.

“I want to stick with him when the horse goes to Brisbane.

“He has had an odd ride or two for the stable, and his first win for us was when Matcha Latte took the Newcastle Qualifier on March 20.

“Whilst I haven’t mapped out a definite program, Matcha Latte will have at least one run going into the Stradbroke.”

Ryan today was understandably still basking in the achievement of winning the PMC Final.

She broke in Matcha Latte, and after initially being trained by now Hong Kong-based Mark Newnham, nursed him back to good health after the gelding incurred a serious injury when having his first start for her in the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Randwick’s The Championships two years ago.

“He wasn’t expected to race again, but he is such an honest horse that I took the time to rehab him,” Ryan said.

“Then after being away from racing for 77 weeks and running such a great race when narrowly beaten by Here To Shock (subsequent Group 1 winner) in the Group 3 Cameron Handicap (1500m) at Newcastle last September, he bled at his next trial and had to have more time out.”

Matcha Latte’s Final triumph boosted his earnings to just over $1.164m.

Whilst Lees missed out in the PMC Final, he didn’t go home empty-handed.

He won the closer on Day 2 of The Championships when $19 chance Infancy (much bigger odds were offered) burst down the centre of the track first-up to claim the $300,000 Group 2 Sapphire Stakes (1200m) against her own sex.

It was the Australian Bloodstock-raced mare’s fourth success, and second at Randwick, having also taken the Listed Fireball Stakes (1100m) in March last year when also a long-priced shortener ($61 to $26).

Lees also was successful at his home meeting with lightly-raced Hellbent two-year-old Damien ($1.55 favorite) in the Maiden Plate (1200m) against his own sex.

Ridden by stable apprentice Ben Osmond, the colt was having only his second start and cleared out over the closing stages to convincingly defeat Kundabgung ($7) and Babyfaced Assassin ($51).

 Story John Curtis, April 13, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos