Cairns Cup on Tutelage's radar

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Janel Ryan hopes a lack of a suitable lead-up race won’t stand in the way of promising stayer Tutelage from winning in Cairns on Tuesday.

Tutelage – a Nathan Day mount - has drawn perfectly in barrier three and will be chasing his third win from his past four starts in the Magic Millions Rob Koch Memorial over 2100 metres.

Ryan and her husband Ron have been close friends with Brisbane-based Day for more than 20 years, teaming up for many great successes in the far north.

Day is a regular on the central and north Queensland provincial circuits, winning a host of races including two Cleveland Bay Handicaps, two Parry Nissan Classics and a Cairns Amateur Cup.

Ryan also will saddle up Whitterick, a winner of three of his past four starts, but rates Tutelage as clearly her best chance.

Tutelage is coming off a last start second to the Mick Bannon-trained Monsieur Macron in a 1400-metre Class 6 at Townsville June 29.

“He hasn’t had a run for a while and it would have been nice to fit in a 1600-metre race before stepping up to 2100 metres,” Ryan said.

“That and race fitness are the only things that worry me.

“It’s a bit like getting ready for a boxing match when you’re not sure you’re ready to go 10 rounds.”

Ryan has made a big name for herself in the north but it hasn't come without a lot of hard work over many years.

Born in the United States, Ryan arrived in Queensland more than four decades ago, spending 11 years in Cairns before moving to the Atherton Tablelands.

She has a stable of 12 in work at Tolga but lives at Atherton, about six kilometres away where she works as a barber.

Ryan has won a host of country Cups in the north including a Townsville Amateur Cup and three Cairns Cups.

Ryan believes Tutelage will be hard to beat and rates the Roy Chillemi-trained Borella as the main danger.

Borella has drawn awkwardly in barrier eight but has been in great form with two wins and three placings from his past five starts.

The six-year-old stormed home to beat the Stephen Massingham-trained Brilliant Mind by almost two lengths in a Benchmark race over 1609 metres at Townsville ln June 29.