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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Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Nathan’s comments
Wednesday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Lincoln Maree
5.11pm
“She’s finding her feet and was a bit unlucky at Taupo. She put in a few rough ones out of the gate - she was like that early in her prep and could just jump out of it - but she’s generally doing things right now. She trained well on Saturday and, with the right run, could run top three.”
Race 3: The Night Fox
6pm
“He won really well on the second day at Hawera and if he races anything like he’s training he’ll be hard to beat. He ran a 27.3 quarter during the week and I was just sitting on him. I’ll tell Craig to go forward, set an even tempo and cut him loose at the 600. I think he’s our best of the night.”
Race 6: Lincoln Lover
7.35pm
“Hopefully he’s improved since Taupo when Fergie drove him a treat in front. I actually think he’s better coming off something’s back but I’ll leave it up to Fergie. He’s up a bit in grade but has the right draw to be in it all the way.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 5: Lincoln Wave
7.32pm
“He had an easy run last week and he can go a lot faster than that. He should be hard to beat. It won’t matter if he doesn’t find the lead from six, he’ll be just as effective coming from off the pace. He’s a pretty classy horse, classier than most of those against him.”
