Veteran galloper Cisco Bay was once on the cusp of being “banished to the bush” but could complete a remarkable late career resurgence in Saturday’s Listed Civic Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick.
Cisco Bay, a $1m earner and rising nine-year-old, will go in search of a maiden stakes victory when he lines up as one of the leading chances in this week’s $160,000 feature.
Trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou have their son of So You Think racing in some of the best form of his career with Cisco Bay already producing several strong showing in stakes grade during his eight-year-old season.
But it wasn’t so long ago that Cisco Bay was nearly on his way out of their Rosehill stable.
“Prior to him winning the Nowra Cup a couple of years ago (December, 2020), he was on the verge of getting banished to the bush,” Ryan admits.
“Then he won and we took all the gear off him and started again with him.
“If he didn’t perform at Nowra, he was going to go bush but he won and he has just kept going since.
“His last prep last spring was sensational, he’s no star but he’s a good honest horse.”
Ryan and Alexiou are Cisco Bay’s fourth trainers following stints with George Woodward, Kristen Buchanan as well as Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
Cisco Bay has already banked $1m in stakes earnings. Picture: Getty Images
Interestingly, the gelding’s eight-year-old season has been one of his best, with a pair of city victories as well as finishing a narrow runner-up to Rustic Steel in the inaugural edition of The Big Dance last year.
The talented campaigner qualified for last year’s Big Dance via the Wild Card with Ryan and Alexiou keen to target the main event again this year if Cisco Bay can get into the field.
“He only just got beat in The Big Dance last year and our aim is to get there again,” Ryan said.
“We will probably look at the Coffs Harbour heat but as an eight-year-old I don’t want to stop him and start him again because at that age you might not get them back.
“I thought we would just space his races so he may go to Coffs Harbour or may go to the Winter Challenge and then see later on if he can get to The Big Dance or not.”
Cisco Bay comes into the Civic Stakes on the back of a victory in a 1400m event at Randwick last month.
It’s a race-to-race double for @GRyanRacing with Cisco Bay winning the Precise Fire Hcp at #RoyalRandwick with @ZRKD in the saddle.
— Australian Turf Club (@aus_turf_club) May 27, 2023
A final field of 14 runners plus four emergencies was declared for the Civic Stakes with talented three-year-old Kibou most notably missing out on a place in the final field.
The John O’Shea-trained Waihaha Falls was $6 into $5 favourite in early TAB betting with stablemate Cotehele sharing the second line of betting at $6.50 with Cisco Bay.
Mark Minervini’s new stable addition Hosier ($9) is among the early acceptors however the former Lloyd Williams-owned galloper is no guarantee of starting in the feature event.
Minervini, who purchased Hosier online, won‘t start the import unless there is some sting in the ground however Randwick was rated a Good 4 on Wednesday with only light rain predicted later in the week.
“On his day, he is a talented horse but he just needs the conditions right,” Minervini said.
“You wouldn’t believe at this time of year we haven’t had any rain but I will just keep him on ice until we get appropriate ground.”
Chris Waller has accepted with four runners in the feature including popular galloper Polly Grey.