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.
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Ray’s comments
Wednesday at Cambridge
Race 3: Spiritual Bliss
1.10pm
“You can’t fault what she’s done up here and she’s trained on really well since Manawatu. She seems to have a good motor and can carry her speed a long way. It’s a bit of a step-up on Wednesday, and she’s drawn out a bit, but she should be right in the fray.”
Race 4: Lincoln Lover
1.45pm
“It’s a huge drop in class for him on what he’s been racing. The Purdon horse Crippa Max looks the one to beat on his trial but I’m picking we’ll finish in the first three at worst. He’s very honest and does nothing wrong.”
Race 6: Lincoln Downs
2.55pm
“She got skittled early last time when one galloped in front of her, and that didn’t help. It would be nice to see her get a good trip, with no incidents, and see what she can do. She’s no superstar but she tries hard.”
Race 9: Leo Lincoln
4.31pm
“It’s his first race for more than four months and I’m picking he’ll need the run. It was a toss-up whether we went to the trials, but he’d probably have had no opposition, so it made sense to drop him in here. He’s training well and seems in good shape but whatever he does, he’ll improve on.”
