Ryan stable have eyes on another FNQ Cup

By Jordan Gerrans

Janel Ryan is trainer by name in the race book but she is happy to admit she is not the boss of her own stable.

At the top of the Kuranda range on the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland, the Ryan barn has been one of the leading teams in the north of the state for decades.

Wife Janel is trainer by name, but in reality, her husband Ronnie is as much a trainer as she is.

The 66-year-old Ronnie gave up race riding in 2015 after many years in the saddle.

He still punches out a couple most mornings at track work, but his focus more so now is preparing the dozen or so the stable has in work.

They have been working together for 40 years in this way – Ronnie helping out Janel when he was still riding full-time – and they have a tried and true method and approach.

“Ronnie is very bossy, he likes things done his way or no way,” Janel said with a laugh. 

“I guess I am, too, I am particular about what we feed the horses. 

“Ronnie takes care of the conditioning of the horses while I look after the staff and the accounts. 

“I like to see if our horses are happy and if they are not, we need to ensure they are happy, so we will get a chiropractor or an equine physiologist.” 

The Ryans win all kinds of races at various tracks around North Queensland, both on the TAB circuit across the carnival, as well as the non-TABs in the bush.

But, most of all, their speciality is claiming big Cup races.

Tutelage's 2021 Cairns Cup triumph was just another in the FNQ feature race for the Ryan stable, following on from Seafight in 2015 and We Just Love It back in 2018.

In 2021, they went through a stunning run of form in staying races across their district.

They secured Cups at Atherton, Gordonvale and Cairns, as well as the famous Banana Cup at Innisfail, before finishing the campaign with a Cooktown triumph.

Ronnie is not a man to pump up his own tyres about his gallopers’ success, but he concedes they do have a particular touch when it comes to preparing stayers. 

“There is a bit of a knack to get them ready to run over the journey like that,” Ronnie said.

“It helps to have good horses but you just have to get that ability out of the horse.

“Janel does a great job making the feeds and other jobs around the place.

“We had a good year, last year.”

While Ronnie is the boss – as Janel laughs – he does not have it all his way.

Despite the pair working together for decades, Janel says she will often question her husband to better understand why he is doing something a specific way with a horse.

As a former top jockey in the area, Ronnie still rides two or three of a morning and can quickly identify when a stayer is absolutely ready.

“I think we take it in our stride because we have had a lot of success over the years in quite a few staying races, being local, as well as in the bush,” Janel said. 

“We have had many horses come into the stables and Ronnie has declared them that they would go on and win Cup races and he was right most of the time. 

“The owners that we have, if we take them to the bush and they win - you would have thought they had won a Cairns Cup - it means so much to them.” 

The Ryan stable go in search of the 2022 Cairns Amateur Cup this Saturday afternoon with stable mates Fast Train and New King.

For Cairns Jockey Club General Manager Cameron Riches, he has seen the husband and wife partnership up close over the years and recalls the days when Ronnie was still riding on race day.

“Janel and Ronnie Ryan are well respected participants in North Queensland,” Riches said. 

“They have won Cups all up the east coast as well as a handful of Cup races combined here in Cairns, being our Cairns Cup and the Amateur Cup. 

“Ronnie himself is a well-respected person in the industry as being a leading master for apprentice jockeys over the years. 

“Ronnie learnt from the best when he was riding.” 

If either of the Ryan duo were to be successful on Saturday, it would be a popular result within the FNQ racing ranks.

“They are very approachable people and they are one of us as locals, when they win a race here in Cairns everyone is excited and happy for them,” Riches said.

After winning the Banana Cup at Innisfail last year with Tutelage, the Ryans claimed it again in 2022, with Fast Train knocking of stable mate New King by just over a couple of lengths.

They both progressed to the $150,000 Cairns Cup late last month, where Fast Train finished back in the field, while New King could not force his way into the final make-up, relegated to being an emergency.

With New King sure of a start this time in the $150,000 Amateur Cup, the stable are optimistic of their winning Cup run continuing.

Ronnie and Janel recognise that Namazu – who won the Cairns Cup just the other day – will be tough to hold out, they could not be happier with their pair.

Former UK-based stayer New King landed in FNQ with bad feet but Ronnie credits Janel’s care and effort to get him back racing at a high level.

“He came up from Victoria with bad feet and Janel spent a lot of time treating them,” Ronnie said.

“He is only a little horse.”

As for Fast Train, the stable are not too fussed that he ran over eight lengths behind the winner at his last effort.

He drew wide and was forced to go back from the gate.

Ronnie reports he has progressed on well from that run and should be better suited this time around Cannon Park.

Following on from the Amateur Cup this Saturday, Fast Train is a chance to progress through to the Atherton Cup on their home track later the year.