© Photo Healy Racing
John Ryan is considering an ambitious tilt at the Prix de l’Abbaye with La Bellota following his runner-up finish in the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury.
Second on his first two starts at Yarmouth and Musselburgh, the Mehmas gelding was then not beaten far into fifth place when stepped up to Listed level for the Roses Stakes at York last month.
J Ryan on La Bellota
He faced another rise in class and distance for Saturday’s Group Two feature in Berkshire, but outperformed his status as a 28-1 rank outsider, going down by only a neck to Richard Fahey’s highly regarded colt Powerful Glory in testing conditions.
“We were delighted with him. There’s always a worry when the ground goes that extreme, but luckily they had a downpour halfway through the morning and I think that helped as that loosened the ground and horses were getting through it,” said Ryan.
“He’s still a raw, greenish horse without the miles on the clock really, but we’d never put the gun to his head until Saturday and he came up trumps.
“I think going six furlongs for the first time helped as although he got headed he seemed to fight back until the line, so that opens up options a little bit.
“You had the right horse there that won it. Richard doesn’t get it wrong too often and if he thinks highly of one then it must be special, because he does have one or two to compare him to.”
While La Bellota is still eligible to run in a maiden, Ryan can see little merit in lowering his sights at this stage of the season and is instead eyeing a possible big-race bid on Arc weekend at ParisLongchamp.
“He has got an entry in the Prix de l’Abbaye. The ground does often turn up on the soft side there and now he’s proved he handles that it does open that option up for him,” the trainer added.
“He’s come out of his race very well. He went out for an exercise this morning and was moving very well and hasn’t left an oat since he got back, so touch wood he’s all good.
“We’ll get this week out of the way and then make a decision on whether we go down that (Abbaye) route, but the owner wouldn’t be averse to travelling, whether that’s France or America or wherever.
“It’s an exciting time and it’s nice to have these questions about where you’re going to go, but at the moment we’re just trying to keep our feet on the ground and have a sensible look.
“I don’t see much point in going for a maiden at 1-20 or whatever and there aren’t that many maidens at this time of year over five or six furlongs anyway.
“He’s a big horse, so whatever he does he’ll be better next year if we can keep him in one piece.”
