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By Ray Hickson

A Highway is the short term goal for Bathurst trainer Andrew Ryan’s talented gelding Life Well Lived if he shows he’s returned from a throat operation in good order at Mudgee on Sunday.

Of course if the four-year-old happens to win the Your Song At Gooree Handicap (1100m) he’ll be ineligible, and Ryan would be more than happy with that result, but the trainer is a little guarded given the eight month layoff and sprint distance.

Life Well Lived has won three of his nine starts and it was during his last start Highway sixth placing at Randwick in August that the breathing issue raised its head.

“He was racing real well and it just popped up, he started to make a bit of noise. We had it assessed by Randwick Equine and he had the tie back,’’ Ryan said.

“This is the first time we’ve had a tie back done with a horse and it’s a bit of foreign ground.

“It used to be very much a negative in years gone by but now it’s probably a 70-80 per cent success rate so we’re optimistic.”

Early signs are that Life Well Lived is responding positively to the operation and while he hasn’t officially trialled Ryan has given the horse plenty of work.

Jockey Tony Cavallo, who rides the horse is most of his fast work, reported to Ryan that he sounds good and is working well but the trainer is guarded until he sees him pull up from his first-up run.

Life Well Lived wins at Dubbo in July

“We’re looking at the horse the same way, I think he’s better over a mile. If it does work it could improve the horse and that’s our hope,’’ he said.

“This looks a nice race, he’s well weighted and it’s a good race to kick him off in.

“Realistically it’s short of his preferred distance but the horse is very fresh and working well. They’ll probably get out and go but we’ll be looking at him running a solid race and pulling up well.”

There’s a 1400m Class 3 Highway at Randwick on May 27 and that’s shaping as a likely target for Life Well Lived, who was $4.20 with TAB on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Ryan said Possibly So is only a couple of weeks away from returning to work after he was forced to miss the Country Championships Final with a minor injury.

The gelding was runner-up in the Central Districts Championships at Mudgee but pulled up lame after his lead up run at Warwick Farm and Ryan lost the battle to have him fit for Randwick.

“We could have made a little problem into a big problem if we went any further,’’ he said.

With just 14 starts, for three wins, Possibly So is still eligible for a second shot at the Country Championships in 2024 but Ryan said he’ll play that by ear as it’s not ideal to wait a whole year with a talented horse.

“As much as it’s very appealing and something we all want to be competing in you have to be careful you don’t waste your horse by just thinking about it,’’ he said.

“There are Country Cups, Highways, there’s good prizemoney so you’ve got to take it as it comes.”

All the entries, form and replays for Sunday’s Mudgee meeting