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By Ray Hickson

Blake Ryan has been patiently building the foundations of his training career over the past eight months but horses like the improving Illustrating Law have kept things ticking over.

The three-year-old winds up a successful first preparation with Ryan on his home track in the Fowler Civil Contracting Handicap (1000m) at Hawkesbury on Thursday.

With 15 horses in work, most early three-year-olds or younger and many unnamed, Ryan said it’s been a “slow burn” runners wise since he kicked off his training career with a winner back in February but at the same time each horse gets their due attention.

“As far as having a runner week to week and getting your name out there it’d be nice to have more. But you’ve got to be patient and deal with what we’ve got,” he said.

“We’ve got to keep placing them right but so far with limited runners I reckon we’ve gone all right.

“A couple of those close seconds go half a length the other way and the strike rate looks real good.”

Illustrating Law has had a busy first campaign, he came to Ryan from David Vandyke with a jump out and barrier trial already under his belt and has since had three race starts.

Illustrating Law wins at Gosford on October 7

He also came with his quirks. But with experience Ryan has managed to smooth them out, particularly his awkward way of leaving the stalls.

“His biggest thing early days in his first two starts was leaving the gates, he wanted to jump up instead of out,’’ he said.

“He’s got better and Jason (Collett) has worked him out pretty quickly.

“I gave him a jump out before I trialled him and this will be four runs. I wouldn’t like to go any further with him.”

The gelding broke through at his third start with an all the way win at Gosford, where he left the gates cleanly and found the lead and held off a challenge to score by more than half a length.

Ryan said while he’s now up in class he has every reason to think he can hold his form for another run before taking his well earned break.

“He’s only just turned three, he’s sound and happy and earning a cheque so you can’t complain,’’ he said.

“Next time in I’d like to take the shades off him and let him get there over 1100m, I think he will run it and possibly even 1200m but at this stage we’ll leave them on while he’s still learning.

“You’re out of maiden grade now so they are harder, especially in this area, but he’s held his mark.”

All the fields, form and replays for Thursday's Hawkesbury meeting