Sydney trainer Gerald Ryan is hoping his four-year-old mare Break Card can score her first ever black-type win this Saturday in the Civic Stakes before she retires from racing to serve as a broodmare.
A daughter of top Aussie sire Danzero from Fairy King mare Fleur De Jazz, Break Card has raced 28 times so far for five wins and five minor placings but as yet has failed to perform in a stakes race.
Nine of her starts have been in Listed or Group rated events, including an elite level assignment in the 2009 Flight Stakes, but unable to live up to her breeding Break Card’s best result in these races has only been fifth.
On Saturday she will get the chance to break her black-type duck when she lines up in the $100,000 Listed Civic Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens.
“She has won five races and I would love to see her do it again in the Civic Stakes,” Ryan said.
One of 16 early entries for the feature, other notable Civic Stakes nominees include Tracey Bartley’s former Group 1 winning warhorse Sniper’s Bullet, last Friday’s upset Takeover Target Stakes champion Title and recent Ipswich Eye Liner Stakes placegetter Drenalin.
Break Card was bought back to the track in March, having originally been set for broodmare duties at the end of last year.
A failed first-attempt at breeding, however, saw connections re-enter her in the world of racing.
After failing to place in the Listed Angst Stakes (1400m) at Randwick last October, Break Card was sent to the former John Thompson-trained stallion Onemorenomore.
“She tested positive (to being in foal) at 28 days but then another test showed she was no longer pregnant and must have absorbed the foal,” Ryan explained of the unsuccessful breeding venture.
“Her owner John Baxter sent her back into training so we could give her one more chance at a stakes race before she becomes a mother.”
