Latest News

By Ray Hickson

Everything around Ellsberg’s spring preparation has been planned to have him ready for a test at 1800m in Saturday’s inaugural $2 million Five Diamonds at Rosehill Gardens and co-trainer Gerald Ryan says it couldn’t have worked out better.

Trainer Gerald Ryan (Pic: Bradley Photos)

The Five Diamonds is exclusively for five-year-olds and Ellsberg arrives at the race with a gutsy Group 1 Epsom Handicap dead head win and an easy all the way victory in the Five Diamonds Prelude (1500m) against his name.

Ryan said it’s the perfect platform to test his distance limits.

“This was always the race we said to the owners was his ideal target,’’ he said.

“All spring this has been his target and he’s been trained around it accordingly.

"The 1800m is the query but only because he’s never been there. The way he’s finished off his races at his last two starts I’ve got no worries about it.”

Ellsberg is by Spill The Beans, who won up to 1400m, while his dam was a winner at 2100m in low benchmark company.

Pedigree aside Ryan, who co-trains with Sterling Alexiou, said looking at the horse he doesn’t hesitate to step into unchartered waters.

“When you go back through his pedigree, Glastonbury is in Spill The Beans’ pedigree and he won a Metropolitan,’’ he said.

“I do it without any fears, we always thought he’d run 1800m to 2000m but we haven’t had the reason to try it.

“He’s just a consistent honest horse, he’s consistent in his ways, he works the same all the time.

“You wouldn’t think he’s a five-year-old stallion, he’s very quiet and he’s been well looked after.”

Tommy Berry has the ride on Ellsberg, $2.50 favourite with TAB on Thursday, and Ryan said he doesn’t usually love drawing inside with this particular horse but on this occasion it’s a plus.

“He’s always been a horse that’s gone better from wider barriers because he can dictate where he wants to be, whether it’s in front or taking a sit,’’ he said.

“But from the 1800m at Rosehill you’re always better off drawn in close.

"For a horse heading to 1800m first time he ticks a few boxes to say he’ll run it.”

Stablemate Just A Jedi backs up from an unplaced run last week into the Quayclean Handicap (1800m) but Ryan said it might have been a hidden run.

Ellsberg wins the Five Diamonds Prelude on October 15

He was a month between runs and was beaten four lengths by Pale King but spent most of the home straight being held up for room.

“He drew well and was ridden well and when it was time to go he looked like being able to sneak up on the fence and the horse in front came back on top of him,’’ he said.

“He ended up going to the line under a hold because he ran out of room again. He certainly didn’t have a hard run and he’s backed up before and won.”

Meanwhile, Big Dance runner-up Cisco Bay and Little Dance placegetter Steely will continue their spring preparations later this month and Ryan said it is likely one will contest the $1m The Gong (1600m) on November 19 and the other the Group 3 Festival Stakes (1500m) a week later.

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