Janel Ryan looking to end stable drought

By Glenn Davis

Tolga trainer Janel Ryan has done it all in North Queensland, winning a host of country cups and trainers’ premierships.

However, her stable will be looking to break a long-running drought when she heads to Townsville on Tuesday with three starters.

Ryan hasn’t trained a winner from her past 50 starters and is currently striking at just over five per cent with four wins and 23 placings from 77 starters this season.

“We’ve been around the money a lot but a quitter never wins,” Ryan said.

“I only have around seven or eight in work nowadays after deciding to cut back our numbers.”

American-born Ryan, who also runs a barber business, landed in Australia more than 30 years and spent 11 years in Cairns before moving to the Atherton Tablelands over a decade ago.

She has worked tirelessly alongside her partner Ronnie Ryan, who she attributes much of her success.

The pair has become an institution in Far North Queensland combining to claim four Cairns Cups with Pretty Fox, Sea Fight, We Just Love It and Tutelage among a host of other features.

Ryan concedes she hates coming home from the races without training a winner and is hopeful of ending her dry spell in Townsville.

She will saddle Choir Boy in the Open Handicap, Kirkall in the Benchmark 55 Handicap and It’s Showtime in the Maiden Plate.

Choir Boy hasn’t won since June last year when he claimed the 1450-metre Laura Cup.

A 10-times winner from 57 starts, Choir Boy is coming off a last start eighth when beaten three lengths by the Trevor and Peter Rowe-trained Desert Grit in a 1250-metre Open at Cairns last month.

“After he won the Laura Cup, he got a meat-eating bug in his leg and nearly died,” Ryan said.

“It left a hole in his leg but it’s fully healed now.

“It took him eight months to recover and he should have won the Mt Garnet Cup two runs back when he ran third after getting knocked down.

“The form around him since has been good and it was too short for him last start over 1250 metres.”

Ryan also expects Kirkall and It’s Showtime to be competitive.

“It’s Showtime hadn’t raced for 18 months before I got him off Rod Northam in NSW,” Ryan said.

“He was a cheap buy but 1000 metres is not the ideal distance for him on Tuesday.

“I like Kirkall but he’s got a big weight and he’s second up and having his first run for me.

“It’s quick back-up from his last run when he ran second for Fred Wieland but he’s a young horse with a good future.”