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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Gerald Ryan is adamant talented sprinter Smashing Eagle is a stakes winner in waiting and has his eye on a series of sprints in the coming months.

Trainer Gerald Ryan (Pic: Bradley Photos)

The gelding returns from a freshen up in the Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation (1100m) at Randwick on Saturday having not raced since chasing home Red Card at Rosehill back on September 9.

Ryan, and co-trainer Sterling Alexiou, had hoped to squeeze into the Group 3 Sydney Stakes last week but he was left stranded as an emergency and kicks off a week later.

“This is a nice back up for him. I reckon there’s a stakes race in him somewhere, the right stakes race,’’ Ryan said.

“There are a couple in the summer sprint series that could fall into that category.”

Races like the Listed Starlight Stakes (1100m) or Listed Razor Sharp (1200m) in December shape as early targets for Smashing Eagle.

Ryan said the five-year-old spent 10 days out at Muskoka Farm after his last run and has returned in good order.

Smashing Eagle, $3.70 with TAB on Thursday, does have that get back-run on racing pattern, which won’t change, so Ryan said the result comes down to the run he gets in the race as he knows he’s going to record slick sectionals.

“You have to ride him that way because he has a throat problem,’’ he said.

“His throat is heaps better than it was 12 months ago.

“In his last four runs he’s run the best sectionals all day. He’s running sensational sectionals, and he can do that if you ride him right.

“If you let him relax back he will finish off.”

Stablemates Steely and Cisco Bay have another shot at the Big Dance Wild Card (1600m) in a last ditch attempt to gain a run in the $3 million feature on November 7.

The pair contested the race a year ago with Cisco Bay winning and Steely running sixth. Steely went on to run third in the Little Dance while Cisco Bay was narrowly beaten in the Big Dance.

Steely notched his first win for almost two years when Ryan sent him to Brisbane and he scored over 1400m at Eagle Farm two weeks ago.

“He hadn’t won for a long time but it was a nice race for him and he’s come back and looks as good as he ever has. It’d be nice to see him get into the Big Dance,’’ Ryan said.

“He’d gone two preparations without winning but he won over $150,000 in prizemoney just by finishing close up.”

To run in the Wild Card, a horse must have contested at least one of the 2023 Big Dance eligible Country Cups.

Both hoses finished unplaced in the Coffs Harbour Cup. Ryan said in the case of Cisco Bay, who also tackled the Tamworth and Scone Cups, he’s racing better than his form suggests.

The nine-year-old was beaten five lengths in the $1.5 million Alan Brown Stakes (1400m) but Ryan said his was a hidden run.

“He’s just having no luck. His run in the Alan Brown was really good, his sectionals were good,’’ he said.

Smashing Eagle runs second at Rosehill on September 9

“You just couldn’t make ground from back in the field. He ran 14th but he ran really well.”

Unfortunately for the gelding he’ll need to contend with a wide gate for the third start in a row so Brett Prebble will need plenty of luck to force his way into the Big Dance.

“He came from back in the field last year but it makes it hard because he has to go back and it makes it almost impossible to win,’’ he said.

“He doesn’t want a rock hard track either, he’s had 29 starts on good for one win.”

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