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Rossa Ryan looking to round out stellar season with live Group One chances

By Racing TV

Last Updated: Sun 27 Sep 2026

Fresh off the back of his Middle Park success on Orthodox, Rossa Ryan gave the inside line on his hopes for the latter end of the season on Luck On Sunday.

Ryan has enjoyed a successful 2026, with his Ebor victory on Alan King's Daiquiri Bay a particular highlight.

The pair will be looking to enjoy more success in the autumn, with the team weighing up his options ahead of taking a step up in both trip and grade.

'He's won three times this year, the furthest he has won by is a length and he does nothing in front but you have to go and commit on him,' said Ryan.

'He holds plenty back, he's doing everything right and he's ready to go up to two miles.

Now coming into the autumn on slower ground again he'll be better again, so he's a lovely one to follow for sure.

Daiquiri Bay will either go to Champions Day or he'll go to the Prix Royal Oak.'

Ryan will be heading Stateside next week, ahead of partnering Pride Of Arras in the Group One Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes at Belmont.

The postponement of the meeting due to adverse weather in New York has worked in Ryan's favour, allowing him to avoid missing the ride on Pride Of Arras, which was originally due to clash with Newmarket's Cambridgeshire meeting.

'[It is an] unexpected bonus. It was a tricky decision, but as I said, the bit of work Orthodox did 10 days ago was pretty special. It is tough but this lad is the future.' Ryan said on his decision to miss the now-rearranged Belmont meeting in favour of taking the ride on Orthodox.

'He wasn't in love with [Kempton]. For some reason, it rode quite deep and he put Gethin to the sword off slow run race and he galloped out well.

The new Belmont is bigger track, longer straight, which would have been my worry going to America that you wouldn't have enough time, but I think he should be fine.

He's right back on track now and well in himself and I was chatting to Emma, who was out there with him [...] and she said he's great. So he's travelled well and it looks a wide open race.'

Jim Bolger's Sparan Nua will be looking to bounce back from her Longchamp defeat as she lines up in the Fillies and Mares Stakes on Champions Day.

Prior to her trip to France, Sparan Nua finished a credible second to superstar mare Kalpana in this Yorkshire Oaks, though Ryan looks back on the defeat with disappointment.

'That was a tough one to take,' Ryan said on her York defeat, 'because when I won the Arc, Mr. Bolger sent me the Racing Post for Bluestocking winning the Arc and a letter.

I'd never met Mr. Bolger, but always watched him growing up. He was a racing idol [...] I thought, jeez, I would love to ride from one day. Then up came Sparan Nua.

If I went with Kalpana, when she went, and I was able to go with her, she'd have beaten me convincingly. I could see her in front of me getting idle, hence switching left quickly.

But in the [Prix] Vermeille, just the ground was too quick for her. That was plain and simple.

I think hopefully, come QIPCO Champions Day, that we've soft ground again and she will be a live player.'

Ralph Beckett has cited Amiloc as his big hope for Champions Day, with Ryan similarly optimistic about his chances in the Long Distance Cup off the back of an easy Conditions Stakes victory at Salisbury.

'Amiloc going to Salisbury, did him the world a good because he just needed that bit of confidence. I'm happy to go back up to two miles with him again.'

After rounding off the British flat season, Ryan will head to Hong Kong, having being granted a license to ride there over the winter.

'I go the end of November and I'm there, December, January and to the end of February,' Ryan said.

'It was a privileged to be asked and impossible to turn down, especially when they come and ask you.

I'm looking forward to it, I had a glimpse of it when Starlust went there.'

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