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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Gerald Ryan isn’t prepared to speculate about just how good unbeaten colt Peltzer might be until he meets the stars of his generation in the coming months but is rapt with how he’s returned from a short break.

Trainer Gerald Ryan (Pic: Bradley Photos).

The Group 1 $1m Golden Rose (1400m) is the logical early target, he shares the third line of TAB betting at $11 behind Slipper winner Farnan ($6), and Ryan said Peltzer is two to three weeks off trialling.

Ryan has pencilled in August 18 at Rosehill or August 21 at Warwick Farm for Peltzer’s first public hit-out prior to the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m) on August 29.

“He looks terrific, he’s probably grown a little bit though he only had four weeks off,’’ Ryan said.

“He spelled really well and has a summer coat on him, he’s shining like a new two cent piece.”

Peltzer can be described as belonging to the second wave of two-year-olds from the 2019-20 season given he didn’t make his debut until April 28 but by a month later he had built a reputation as an exciting prospect.

Aside from declaring the Golden Rose on September 26 as the first target, via the Run To The Rose two weeks prior, Ryan said there’s no point getting ahead of himself until he makes the transition from ‘off season’ to carnival company.

But he said he has a few things in his favour.

“You’ve got late autumn/early winter form coming up against genuine group form in the autumn,’’ he said.

“Out of his three races there’s been nine individual winners so the form around him is quite good.

“He’s sat back on a good track and got home, he led on a soft track and he led on a heavy 8 and he won so he has plenty of arrows in his bow really.

“He’s working along nicely but I’ll let him prove it first before I start saying anything.”

Peltzer is a $26 chance in the TAB Everest market but Ryan said he’d need to get past the Golden Rose before the nation's premier sprint came onto the radar. Interestingly, his well performed year older colt Standout, also back in work, is rated a $51 chance.

The Rosehill trainer has a handy bunch of horses pointed towards the spring and has the fingers crossed the weather improves particularly for a horse like Return With Honour.

The Fastnet Rock colt won impressively on debut then struck wet tracks in three of his subsequent four starts with his Group 3 Canonbury Stakes placing his only other dry track attempt.

Peltzer makes it three from three at Randwick in May

Saturday week’s Rosebud was intended to be Return With Honour’s first-up assignment but Ryan said unless he sees significant improvement in the Rosehill track he’ll look to other options and rely on Kumasi in the Listed race.

Kumasi was a debut winner at Gosford then chased Prague home in the Group 2 Pago Pago Stakes in March at his only other start.

“I know he won a 1000m race but Kumasi is not a 1000m horse, we’ll give him a chance to measure up,’’ Ryan said.

“We’ll see how he pulls up after he gallops on Saturday and decide whether we trial at Rosehill (Tuesday) or just goes straight into the Rosebud.

“Return With Honour has come up really well but is plagued by wet tracks.

“He was going to go (Rosebud) but with the way the tracks are I don’t think he will. We’ll see what happens with the Queensland border and he might happen to go up there if we can get a good track. I’m not real sure yet.’’

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