Trainer Janel Ryan on the Fast Train to Country Cups Challenge Final

By Glenn Davis

North Queensland galloper Fast Train was once trained by Gerald Ryan and now the former Sydney gelding looks well on the way to heading to Brisbane this summer for the Country Cups Challenge Final at Doomben in December.

The seven-year-old won the first qualifying race for the Country Cups Challenge Final in the Atherton Cup last start and takes his next step along the journey to Brisbane in the Gordonvale Cup over 1800 metres on Saturday.

Fast Train was under the care of Ryan from February, 2018 until May, 2020 but could only manage two wins in 19 starts before being moved to Sunshine Coast trainer Darryl Hansen.

Hansen had him for his next 24 starts but again he was only able to win twice before he was picked up by Tolga trainer Janel Ryan.

Under the qualifying conditions for the Country Cups Challenge Final, horses must have started in one of the 16 qualifying races and have raced in five country non-TAB events in the past 12 months.

The Atherton Cup was Fast Train’s second country race meeting this year which meant Ryan needed him to compete in three more non-TAB meetings to meet the qualifying conditions for the $200,000 Final over 1600 metres on December 3.

Fast Train will line up for his third country meeting in the Gordonvale Cup along with stable mates New King and Whitterick before his next assignment over 1200 metres at Innisfail on October 15.

Ryan appears to have found the key to Fast Train, who has won three of his six starts in Far North Queensland, albeit being against much inferior company than in Sydney and Brisbane.

“We won this race last year with Whitterick and if Fast Train can handle the track he will be hard to beat,” Ryan said.

“He’s a big striding horse and has gone up five kilos since he won the Banana Cup at Innisfail in August and two kilos for winning the Atherton Cup.”

Janel Ryan also gives New King a strong chance while Whitterick will soon go on the market.

New King is yet to win in seven starts for Ryan but is coming off an improved third behind Fast Train in the Atherton Cup.

Whitterick’s last win was at Mount Garnet in April and has been in a form slump with four subsequent efforts.

“I’d like to think New King has a good chance as he meets Fast Train a lot better at the weights after he finished third to him in the Atherton Cup,” she said.

New King did his early racing in the United Kingdom under trainer John Gosden before being imported by James Harron Bloodstock and sent to Canberra trainer Matthew Dale.

However, he managed to win only one race at Rosehill in 11 starts before being moved on to North Queensland.