'We've got a big entry at the weekend' - World Of Darcy sets up potential Listed race tilt after first win for John Ryan

World Of Darcy finished behind Saturday’s Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes contender Alyanaabi when last seen and he appreciated the drop in class and trip to land the opening 6f novice.

World Of Darcy was beaten ten lengths by Alyanaabi when tenth in the Group 3 Somerville Stakes at Newmarket last month on his first start for John Ryan, after being bought for 26,000gns at the Tattersalls horses-in-training sale in August.

The juvenile built on that stable debut to score by a neck under Rossa Ryan, ending a six-race winless run since making a successful start for Karl Burke at Pontefract in May.

“I took a bit of a gamble and ran him at Newmarket over seven furlongs because I felt that now’s the time to decide what we’re going to do with him,” said Ryan. “Luke [Morris, jockey] said drop him back to six and get him a bit of confidence because he’s obviously had a few hard days at work and we picked this one.”

World Of Darcy was second to subsequent Group 3 winner Elite Status in the Listed National Stakes at Sandown and was third at the same level at Deauville after finishing fourth in the Weatherbys Super Sprint.

On his acquisition from previous owners the Bronte Collection, Ryan added: “He’s a nice horse and obviously the Bronte connections, they have a number of them, they can’t keep them all.

“There’s nothing wrong with him, but he's not very big. There’s always going to be a doubt whether this horse trains on, but at the moment he eats well and works well. There’s a winter campaign and I think that’s what I’m aiming for.”

World Of Darcy could make a quick return and is entered in the Listed Rockingham Stakes at York on Saturday.

Ryan said: “We’ve got a big entry at the weekend, but we’ll look at that and decide what the ground does. We’ll see how he recovers and then we’ll make decisions.”

Distance delivers again

Rossa Ryan completed a double on the card aboard Going The Distance in the feature 1m½f novice.

The Ralph Beckett-trained son of Lope De Vega was the only penalised two-year-old in the £35,000 contest, and followed up victory at Ffos Las last time to justify 11-8 favouritism.

Going The Distance and Rossa Ryan after success in the feature novice

“He impressed me today,” said Ryan. “He’s just a good honest horse. He doesn’t overdo things, he just jumps and travels – he’s perfect to ride. He’s done it well and he looks like he’s a bit to grow. I don’t think heavy ground is essential for him, he just can quicken on it.”

Welcome winner

Go Daddy gave owners Perspicacious Punters Racing Club a first winner of the year when making a successful handicap debut in the 1m2f nursery.

The William Muir and Chris Grassick-trained four-year-old was beaten a head at Sandown last month, but made amends under Callum Shepherd for the owners who have had horses with Muir for more than 30 years.

Satisfied Stone

The deteriorating conditions ahead of the 1m½f handicap delighted William Stone, whose Dashing Roger relished the heavy ground to score by five and a half lengths.

A seventh career success for the six-year-old helped the Cambridgeshire trainer surpass last season’s total of six winners and Stone said: “He just loves soft, heavy ground and it’s hard to find. If we can find the ground we’ll keep running him.”

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