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By Ray Hickson

There’s no denying Franz Josef is facing a big job to close his winter preparation with a hat-trick at Rosehill on Saturday but co-trainer Gerald Ryan says he needs to learn a few things about the emerging three-year-old before the spring.

Trainer Gerald Ryan

With 61kg and an awkward barrier at the tricky starting point of the Petaluma Handicap (1800m), Ryan concedes he’s asking a bit of Franz Josef.

But he forecast after the gelding’s gritty last start win at 1500m that the next test will be to see if he relishes stretching beyond a mile and give some insight into his spring potential.

“He’s got a task, a three-year-old against older horses and giving them all weight but you see where he sits,’’ Ryan said.

“We haven’t got aspirations of aiming for Group 1s in the spring, there’s plenty of races off the top that’s going to suit him.

“His win the other day was all right, they don’t win by three all the time, he got the job done and gave me the impression he was looking for further.”

Franz Josef, $2.80 with TAB on Thursday, has struck heavy ground in all three runs this preparation and Ryan, who co-trains with Sterling Alexiou, has noted comments from his riders – particularly Nash Rawiller an Kerrin McEvoy - that at times he’s not always been comfortable.

Another jockey comment, and this comes from each jockey who’s been in the saddle, Ryan has taken on board adds to his expectation that distances up to 2000m will be within his reach.

“I can’t wait to get to 1800m and see because he’s always given he impression he’d run it,’’ he said.

“As far as he’s been is a mile on a good track and he won.

“My main objective in this race is seeing him at 1800m, I could have claimed off him but I’d sooner go with a jockey that knows the horse. The four jockeys that have ridden him all reckon he will be better when he gets to a mile and a quarter.

“He’s still learning too, there was an interesting comment by Nash and Kerrin that on corners he’s struggled on heavy ground.

“Kerrin said from the 900m until he straightened the other day he wasn’t handling the ground at all.”

That adds merit to Franz Josef’s half length win two weeks ago after he trailed the speed but appeared to struggle to pick up before knuckling down to score.

Ryan said Saturday will be the gelding’s final run of the campaign, with a race like the Group 2 $2m The Ingham (1600m) in December a possible new season target.

If there’s a surprise packet among the Ryan/Alexiou team at Rosehill the trainer suggests that Steely is a likely improver on what the form guide shows about his two runs back.

Steely, and stablemate Deficit, tackle the TAB Handicap (1500m) and the seven-year-old was a $61 chance on Thursday but Ryan said there’s more in his favour than first-up at Scone and last start at Randwick.

“He’s been going really well, his two runs back have been hidden I think,’’ he said.

“He got back in the 1300m and finished off the last bit at Scone really well and he went back from a bad barrier the other day and didn’t get a clear crack at them.

“He’s going to be a hell of a lot closer than he’s been at his last couple of runs.

Taking The Mikki runs second at Wyong on June 6

“Deficit has to run because we want to go to an 1800m in a couple of weeks. His run the other day was a pass mark.”

Gerald Ryan on High Blue Sea (race 11): “He’s grown and strengthened and his two trials have been good. He’s not 100 per cent on heavy ground but I think I made a blue after he won first-up last time. It was a stinking hot day and it was a terrific win after a long time off and I think it might have flattened him.”

On Smashing Eagle (race 11): “He’s relaxing better now, he’s switching off. The firmer the track the better it is for him, he’s going to crack one of these races one day when everything’s run to suit.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Rosehill meeting