His sole appearance during the Flemington meeting was in a BM90 event and didn’t get the best of runs before surging home late to finish runner-up.
Ranier returned to Sydney with Godolphin head trainer James Cummings identifying the G3 Iron Jack Festival S. as an ideal target and the horse executed that mission with perfection at Rosehill.
Rider Kathy O’Hara had him saving every inch of ground on the fence behind the leaders, and once she found clear air in the straight the horse powered home to add the Festival to the G3 Carbine Club S. he won last season.
“He travelled well back from Melbourne and was fit and well and in good form,” stable spokesman Darren Beadman said.
“I instructed Kathy to make sure he began well and he was three of four pairs forward. He was shining like a new penny and ready to rumble.”
“He travelled well back from Melbourne and was fit and well and in good form.” - Darren Beadman
"It was a lovely ride by Kathy and I think where she won it was when she didn't let Testashadow cross her early, she was able to roll into the race nicely.
"Kathy is nice and kind on the horses and they respond well for her. He had a light weight and she didn't have to waste for him so they're just that little bit stronger over the concluding stages."
Kathy O'Hara
A final decision has yet to be made, but Ranier is now likely to take his chance in the G2 Villiers S. at Randwick on December 14.
It was also a timely win for O’Hara, who was side-lined for much of the spring carnival after being suspended for using her mobile telephone in the jockeys’ room on numerous occasions.
"It's good to be back. I rode a winner last weekend and this one here," she said.
Black type family
Ranier is from a well-performed black type family and his dam Kanzan (Commands) won the G3 Glenlogan Park Stud S., the Listed Hawkesbury Darley Crown and the Listed Yalumba Cup.
Her half-sister Kordia (Epaulette) won the Listed Winning Edge S. and they are out of a half-sister to Liberty Rose (Royal Academy {USA}), successful in the Listed Morphettville Guineas.
Lonhro, sire of Ranier | Standing at Darley
The major success story within the family ranks though is the G1 Randwick Guineas winner and G1 Rosehill Guineas runner-up Inference (So You Think {NZ}).
Live And Free (NZ) (Savabeel) came in for heavy support and looked like he was going to reward his followers when he finished strongly along the rail, but was nabbed on the post by Ranier and Cellarman (Mossman) claimed third from Invincible Gem (I Am Invincible).
Overdue victory
Meanwhile, the grey Spending To Win (Snitzel) won for the first time in more than a year when he went from barrier rise to post in the Listed Drinkwise Starlight S.
The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained front-running gelding was first-up and he was perfectly rated at the head of affairs by Tim Clark.
“He kicked on the corner and I knew he’d had a really good platform with three trials. He hadn’t won for a while and I was wondering whether he’d lost the will to win, but he showed he’s still got a lot of courage.”
Spending To Win winning the Listed Drinkwise Starlight S.
Spending To Win was a $300,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase out of Widden Stud’s draft and is co-owned by Trevor Stuckey, who has raced a number of Group 1 winners including Racing To Win (Encosta de Lago).
A brother to the winner Avocado, Spending To Win is a son of Madame Trop Vite (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and she was a talented juvenile, winning the G2 Flying Childers S. and the Listed Newbury St Hugh’s S. in her initial season.
