Highly respected Maiden Gully horseman Cory Van Ryn has long been to the forefront of Victoria’s specialist square gaiting trainers.
But he has raised the bar in 2005 by qualifying four trotters for Friday night’s Cadbury Schweppes Vicbred Super Series Final for three-year-olds.
When False Gem was successful on her home track at Bendigo last Friday afternoon, she earned a place alongside stable mates Marong (also a heat winner), Steffi Jay and Jacks Tango in the $50,000 Group One final at Moonee Valley.
Van Ryn is the first trainer in the 18-year history of the prestigious Series (formerly known as the Victorian Sires Stakes) to achieve the feat.
Only one other trainer has qualified four horses for a VicBred Super Series Final - juvenile pacing specialist Peter Manning who had a quartet of representatives in the 2002 2YO Fillies Division.
In another remarkable twist, all four of Van Ryn’s finalists are by the same sire - S J’s Photo.
The stable made a bulk booking to the stallion on behalf of loyal clientele with the Axedale-based International Horse Breeders in the 2000 season.
It was the first year S J’s Photo had been available to Australian breeders.
Van Ryn acknowledges that while Friday night’s Super Series Final has drawn a classy field – headlined by boom filly Jauriol - his four runners are not without a winning chance.
“At home there’s nothing between them – whichever one leads in track work generally wins,” he explained.
“Jacks Tango will get a nice run from barrier one, while Marong is a more tractable type and is going very well at the moment.
“He’s a good-driving type of horse who stays, but also has a bit of zip.
“False Gem tends to be slow early, but has a strong finish. Had the race been a little bit longer it probably would have suited her better,” Van Ryn revealed.
“Steffi Jay has the most ability of all of them, but she’s also the most unreliable.”
To date, the Van Ryn stable has had 22 Vicbred Super Series trotting finalists, the most of any trainer.
Former accomplished square gaiting mare Villa Glory is his only champion, although stable mates Yarromin, Kwik Kiss, Jewel Of The Night and Silent Pictureshow have all been placed in a final.
Significantly, if Van Ryn qualifies recent Tontine Series heat winner Master Kiesey for the 4YO Vicbred Super Series Final in July, it will mean that for 16 consecutive crops of foals he has prepared at least one finalist – again a record he will share with Peter Manning.
