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By Ray Hickson

Slick sprinter Tango Rain was given his chance to be a stallion prospect but as he resumes at Hawkesbury on Saturday as a gelding he’s out to prove he’s a racehorse.

The four-year-old did show plenty of early promise with a placing in the San Domenico Stakes at just his third start but trainer Gerald Ryan said he didn’t progress as hoped due to his racing manners.

“He was stakes placed but perhaps he didn’t measure up,’’ Ryan said.

“He was starting to want to race too fierce and wanting to get things over and done with too quickly. When he turned four I suggested to Teeley to geld him.

“We gave him a chance as a two-year-old and a three-year-old and early four-year-old but he wasn’t going anywhere very fast.

Tango Rain's easy barrier trial win at Rosehill on April 6

“He wasn’t going to be a commercial stallion so we might as well have a racehorse.’’

Tango Rain has won three of his 11 starts but his form tapered off with unplaced efforts in three runs in the early summer.

On the back of solid fresh credentials and an impressive barrier trial win on April 6 he is the $4 favourite with TAB in the Listed $125,000 Hawkesbury Gold Rush (1100m) on Saturday so expectations are high for a winning return.

Ryan said despite racing out of his grade, Tango Rain has an 86 Benchmark, he’s done all he can to have him produce his best.

“His fresh form early in the preparation is always really good,’’ he said.

“We’ve given him two trials leading into it like we normally do, he’s a gross horse and cops a bit of work.

“He looks well, he’s a fast horse and with those horses you have to have them ready to go first-up because they knock themselves out fast.’’

Meanwhile, Ryan said Aquis Farm’s decision to lock in Trapeze Artist for The Everest gives him certainty as far as planning his way to the $13 million feature in October.

On Monday the colt’s owner Bert Vieira confirmed Trapeze Artist, the TJ Smith and All Aged Stakes winner, would race on with stud duties deferred for a year.

If all goes well, Ryan could have a very strong group of sprinters to attack the spring with as he has last year’s Everest runner Deploy recovering from a bone chip operation and another star colt in Menari also on the comeback trail later this year.

“They are high maintenance horses and hopefully we can get them right for the spring,’’ Ryan said.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's feature meeting at Hawkesbury