By Brad Gray At Rosehill Gardens
An outstanding return from Menari to win the $150,000 Listed Rosebud (1100m) prompted Gerald Ryan to declare that the $10 million The Everest is in his sights.
The towering son of Snitzel was one of the standout colts as a two-year-old and having started to fill into his frame, he announced himself as a force to be reckoned with over the Sydney spring carnival.
“Are you thinking Golden Rose?” Sky Thoroughbred Central host Greg Radley asked Ryan.
“Nah, I’m thinking The Everest,” Ryan replied.
“Have you been talking to any slot holders?”
“No, they’ll be talking to me.”
Ryan then revealed that he’d have no qualms freshening Menari up for The Everest (1200m) after tackling the Golden Rose (1400m) but first Menari will need to prove himself again in the $125,000 Group three San Domenico Stakes (1100m) on August 26.
“He drops to 56kg in the San Domenico in a fortnight. I’m very fortunate because I reckon I’ve got three really good colts. My biggest problem will be trying to keep them apart,” Ryan said, referencing Condor Heroes and Trapeze Artist.
“I’ve got a real inkling that Menari is just a sprinter so whether he goes to the Golden Rose we’ll play it by ear and make up our minds after the San Domenico.
“(Menari) has been aimed at this race all the way along and best part about it that he has nice improvement in him. He has come back very well and is a much more relaxed horse, much more focused. I think he is a very good horse.”
Outstanding return from Menari with @GRyanRacing suggesting #TheEverest is on the cards! pic.twitter.com/CNUxEmDyd1
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) August 12, 2017
Josh Parr, who is also booked to ride Menari in the San Domenico Stakes, rode a very patient race on the boom colt who tips the scales at 572kg and is 16’2 hands high.
“It was a fantastic win. He has won against bias of the day which takes an extremely good horse to do. It might sound a little bit arrogant but I had the confidence in him to do that and that’s why I elected to get behind Lightz,” Parr explained.
“He’s just a magnificent animal and you look at him in the yard, he’s got some charisma about him. He got a little bit hot pre-race but his class shone through. He is a big strong horse with a turn of foot.”
Menari was tightened in TAB's Golden Rose market from $15 to $11 to share the top line of betting with while he finds himself a $15 chance in TAB's futures market for The Everest.
Siege Of Quebec boxed on bravely to run second but was simply not sharp enough dropping back to 1100m to match it with Menari, while Godolphin’s Trekking ran third.
Check out the results and replays for Rosehill Gardens on Saturday