Double Act Goes Distance Again With Tommifrancs

Sun Herald

Sunday January 18, 2009

By JOHN SCHELL

GERALD RYAN and Glyn Schofield continued their domination of the Sydney summer cups series yesterday when talented stayer Tommifrancs stormed to victory in the Frank Underwood Cup.

The trainer-jockey combination had already won the Christmas and Summer cups with Ready To Lift while Tommifrancs won the Tattersalls Club Cup at Randwick on New Year's Day.

"Glyn is a rider that I've had plenty of success with and he is really hitting his straps in Sydney now," Ryan said after Tommifrancs' success. "I used to use him to ride my horses up in Brisbane when he was based there and since he has come here from South Africa full-time I've been more than happy to put him on again.

"He rides on a long rein and is very patient. That's exactly how I want my stayers ridden and he has done the job.

"Glyn has really hit his straps over the last few months and he is one of the top jockeys in Sydney."

Tommifrancs ($6) sat back off the speed which was set by the Graeme Rogerson-trained Penrickson ($4.60) and, in a finish similar to the Tattersalls Club Cup, he reeled in the leader late in the straight to score by 11/4 lengths. Ausbred King ($26) got up for second, a head in front of Penrickson.

"The race panned out exactly the same as last time," Schofield said.

"We had to run down the same horse again. My bloke is racing very well. Gerald has got him going very well - at the top of his game."

While Ryan has sent Ready To Lift for a spell before the autumn carnival and a possible Sydney Cup assault, the trainer said Tommifrancs would stay in work "provided he pulls up well".

"If he gets through this run OK then I'll back him up in the Australia Day Cup on Monday week," Ryan said. "He is in form ... so we might as well try to pick up another race with him."

Stablemate Synonym, which failed to fire yesterday, would head for a spell, Ryan said.

The well-backed favourite, My Sweet Cookie ($3.80), got warmed up only late when finishing fourth, with jockey Corey Brown reporting "we had to get back too far".

"It just made the job too difficult for him," Brown said.

Meanwhile, Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Blake Shinn made a return to the winners' list when guiding Equable to victory for Ryan in the Slipper Rate Membership Offer Handicap.

"It's good to be back in the game," Shinn said.

The jockey hadn't ridden since breaking his wrist in a three-horse fall at Rosehill on December 10.

© 2009 Sun Herald

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