Brandenburg to run in George Ryder Stakes

Hobartville Stakes winner Brandenburg will take on older horses in the George Ryder Stakes.

Randwick Guineas placegetter Brandenburg will try to add his name to the three-year-olds to beat older horses in feature races this season when he runs in the George Ryder.

Trainer John Sargent has decided to run the colt in the Group One weight-for-age race at Rosehill on Saturday.

Sargent was delighted with Brandenburg’s work on Tuesday morning and confirmed his plan to run him in Saturday’s 1500m-race as a lead-up to the Doncaster Mile (1600m) on April 4.

The colt’s trackwork convinced Sargent to run Brandenburg rather than give him a barrier trial on Friday.

“He’s going to run and Glen Boss will ride,” Sargent said.

“If he runs well he’ll go into the Doncaster with 49 kilos.

“I was going to trial him but he galloped well this morning and he won the Hobartville Stakes at Rosehill a couple of starts ago. There’s no reason not to. It’s a good form race for the Doncaster, so he’ll be running.

“Also, we’re low down the order of entry for the Doncaster, we’ve realised now, so we probably want to get some more points to get in there.”

Brandenburg is equal 50th in the Doncaster ballot.

Already this season Loving Gaby (Manikato Stakes), Alabama Express (C F Orr Stakes) and Bivouac (Newmarket Handicap) have won feature Group One races against older horses while Yes Yes Yes won The Everest and Standout was a weight-for-age winner of the Group Two Expressway Stakes.

Caulfield Guineas-winning three-year-old Super Seth is also heading to the Ryder, having gone close to a Group One weight-for-age win when second in the Futurity Stakes.

Spend is another three-year-old colt entered for the Ryder which is headlined by New Zealand star Te Akau Shark, a short-priced favourite ahead of acceptances on Wednesday.

“It will be hard. He’s against horses like Te Akau Shark and co but it’s probably the race to have him in to harden him up for a Doncaster and then he drops 7kg to go there,” he said.

“He runs well at the track and he doesn’t mind any conditions so he should run very well and it will give Glen Boss a feel of him. And if he likes him he’ll ride him in the Doncaster.”

Brutal ran second in last year’s George Ryder as a three-year-old to champion Winx before winning the Doncaster with 49kg with Boss aboard.