Make Way’s Tuesday pilot Ryan Sanderson after his driving his first winner at Newcastle two weeks ago.
Schoolboy Ryan, 16, gets the reins behind Make Way at Menangle on Tuesday
By Barry Lichter • 14 October 2019
When Make Way steps onto the Menangle track on the outskirts of Sydney tomorrow 16-year-old Ryan Sanderson will be in the sulky, thanks to getting the afternoon off school.
Sanderson is in his last year of school but already is a regular face at the stables of trainers Sonya Smith and Anthony Butt, helping out on weekends, during the holidays and even some weekday mornings when he has to leave by 8am to make class on time.
So the couple has a lot of confidence he can do the right job on the talented pacer, whom he has driven in plenty of work and when he trialled so well last week.
The son of local trainer Shane Sanderson, Ryan began race driving recently and scored his first win at Newcastle two weeks ago at his 13th attempt.
“He’s a great wee driver and a really nice well-mannered boy who’s good with the horses,” says Butt. “And he drove the horse perfectly at the trials, did exactly what we told him to.”
Smith and Butt are giving Sanderson his chance tomorrow on Make Way as being a concession junior driver it sees the horse start from a great inside draw rather than the seven or eight gate he would have been allocated.
Make Way … beautifully drawn in one at Menangle on Tuesday.And over a mile at Menangle that is a huge advantage, prompting Butt to declare Make Way is certainly a top three chance and will be very hard to beat if he leads or trails.
“There is a bit of speed outside us but he has good gate speed and I’d be happy to see him stay in front. But Ryan will sum it out and I’m sure he’ll be selective if he lets one go.
“He’ll be very hard to beat even first-up, the way he trialled, but there’s nothing like a hard race to bring their fitness on.
“And this is only a kick-off point. He has bigger fish to fry this season.”
Butt himself takes the drive on brother Tim’s runner Ideal Star, who draws the outside of the gate.
“He’s quite a nice horse, who has done a good job since he arrived from Dickies in New Zealand, but the draw will hurt him.
“He’ll settle back in the field and will have a bit of a task from there.”
Make Way races at 7.17pm NZ time at Menangle on Tuesday.
More news in Harness
Johnny Lincoln’s big ticker will stand to him in the States and Lover’s also sold to Aussie
No Jumals to beat this time at the Park so Ray’s looking for Lincoln Wave to roll in
Lincoln Linda best of the night at Cambridge - she has the engine to cross Soul Artist
Cheapie Johnny Lincoln a “proper” racehorse who can foot it with the Million bluebloods
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.44pm
“She did well here last time as she had to do a bit to get to the lead and she dug in and fought on. She’s certainly a chance if she repeats that effort.”
Race 4: Lincoln Linda
7.09pm
“I thought she went super last time after doing a lot of work. She can do that because she has an engine and is tough. She’s a bit one-dimensional - you have to turn her loose early - but from the two draw she should be able to lead and that’s where she does her best work.”
Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.34pm
“I think he’s a bit stronger after his spell. It’s not a great field - most will die on that mark - and I don’t see a problem with the standing start as he’s nicely gaited. He could be marginally unfit after three months out but he’s done quite a bit of work and I can see him going a half-decent race.”
Race 6: Lincoln Maree
7.59pm
“She had every chance last time but I can’t see why she won’t go well again. She’s as honest as they come and tries like hell.”
Race 7: The Night Fox
8.29pm
“You’d think he’d lead easily from the inside. He’s had bad draws and still got the money, so I’m sure he’ll go another good race. I’m surprised they sold him so cheaply. He’s better than people think.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Lincoln Wave
5.09pm
“With the trip he got in the Harness Million I thought he’d have run on a lot better. But he was still a bit short on fitness and sometimes we can expect too much of these horses, he was racing the best, after all. It’s a big drop in grade here and he’s a pretty fair horse.”
Race 1: Leo Lincoln
5.09pm
“He’s an honest sort who’s in a good space but he won’t get a wonderful trip from the outside of the gate this time so I’m not holding my breath.”
Race 3: Sammy Lincoln
6.04pm
“He’s training down well but you never know what he’s going to do. You think you’ve got him sorted and he does something silly. But we know if the real Sammy turned up, he’d be very hard to beat as he’s got a lot of speed.”
Race 5: Prince Lincoln
7.05pm
“He’s another where you don’t know which one will turn up but we’ve gelded him since his last run, so we’ll see if that helps. He trained well the other day.”
