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
Friday night’s main event: In the blue corner, Tyson, in the red corner, Sugar Ray
After 40 years in the sulky, Fergie’s just loving his renaissance in the lincoln green silks
Big-spending Mike Tanev snares The Rascal and he’s off to Canada next week
Dreams Of Eric goes from black and blue to blue and white, now for Harness 5000
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Tyson
6.59pm
“He was tough again in winning last week. He’s trained on well, is in good shape, and should be right in it.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
6.59pm
“He’s finally getting his act together - he’s gone three good races in a row - and seemingly turned the corner. We’ve had a lot of (vet) work done on him, his feet in particular, and it’s paid off. There’s not much between him and Tyson.”
Race 5: Rivergirl Bella
7.23pm
“She’ll need everything to go her way from the draw. But she’s got a bit of speed. She’s getting there. She wasn’t very strong before and wasn’t tracking too well, but she’s driving right now.”
Race 5: Lincoln Linda
7.23pm
“She’s had a few issues, mostly mental ones, and is still a bit of a handful. It wasn’t very pretty last week but we’re slowly getting her under control. The outside draw might actually help her.”
Race 5: Angelic Copy
7.23pm
“She needs only a half decent trip to feature. She got held up a little bit in the straight at a crucial time last week and that was that.”
Race 6: Prince Lincoln
7.49pm
“He’s drawn the best of ours in three. He got cheated for a run last week. It’s hard to know where he’d have finished without that.”
Race 6: Lincoln Lover
7.49pm
“Ferg reckoned if he’d been able to hold up in the trail last week he would have won. He was very bullish about how he’d gone. The draw’s no help but he can do a bit of work. He’s an honest little guy who saves his best for when the money’s up on racenight.”
Race 6: Johnny Lincoln
7.49pm
“He got a bit keen last week but he should be a lot better this time. He’s still learning and he’s a slow learner. When he does things correctly he’s a pretty nice horse. Hopefully he can get a suck into it from the second row draw.”
