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By Ray Hickson

Sara Ryan calls him the “Helicopter” due to his early habit of spinning on the spot but there's no doubt Vegas Outlaw is airborne at the moment as he chases his fourth straight win for the Big Dance winning trainer.

Trainer Sara Ryan (Pic: Bradley Photos).

The seven-year-old is a rarity among Ryan’s team in that he’s one horse that the trainer didn’t educate from the start – he’s actually the first horse she bought when she gained her trainer’s license.

He’s still needed Ryan’s guidance, due to habits that wouldn't see him out of place in a cutting arena, but since he notched his maiden win back in March he’s only been beaten once.

“I was playing around with him at the very beginning, I went to sell him and Domeland wanted to buy him,’’ she said.

“I just think he’s really slow to learn, it’s taken him a long time to figure out how to go forward.

“When you got on him he liked to spin around in circles. He doesn’t do that anymore, he’s just learnt how to be a racehorse.”

With wins at Kembla Grange, Wyong and Gosford in succession it was a logical step to give Vegas Outlaw, $4.40 with TAB on Thursday, his chance in the Midway Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.

Ryan said the great thing about the gelding is that he’s proven to be versatile as far as both racing pattern and track conditions are concerned and he loves the mile so can go to the race confident jockey Grant Buckley will have options.

“Winning the 68 the way he did it’s not much of a step up to the 72 and it’s up against many of the same horses,’’ she said.

“I just leave it up to Grant, he knows the horse so well now, he knows what he’s got underneath him.

“I think he’s better towards the front, he has a huge turn of foot so he needs to be somewhat handy. But he definitely doesn’t need to be leading.”

So Good So Cool won’t be leading when he resumes in the Chandon Handicap (1000m) and Ryan is keeping expectations in check about his chances over the short trip having not won below 1100m to date.

Ryan elected to run in the shorter race as opposed to the 1200m final event where he drew wide as she’s a little wary he might need the run.

That said, she is confident the five-year-old will be hitting the line if the race is run as slickly as she suspects.

“There’s a lot of speed in the 1000m race and I’m hoping he can sit behind the speed and work home well,’’ she said.

“He might need this run but he’s also a weapon fresh, it just might be a tad short for him.

Vegas Outlaw wins at Gosford on November 25

“Any bad run he’s put in there’s always been an excuse.”

Meanwhile, Big Dance winner and The Ingham runner-up Attractable has gone for a break with Ryan considering a preparation toward the Group 1 Doncaster Mile in April given his good form over the Randwick mile this spring.

“That will be in the back of the mind and what we aim for but with options along the way,’’ she said.

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