Of the options available to Dances On Stars over the next week, taking on Group One winner Sizzling might seem the hardest.
But trainer Gerald is not shying away from the challenge and will send Dances On Stars into the Vo Rogue Plate (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday in preference to races in Sydney.
A last-start winner against older horses at Rosehill, the three-year-old was among nominations for two races at Canterbury on the same day as well as the New Year’s Day Gold Coast feature, the Goldmarket Handicap.
Sizzling is the winner of six of his 11 starts and made a triumphant return in the Listed Gold Edition Plate at Eagle Farm on December 15, his first outing since his sixth in the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington six weeks earlier.
“Dances On Stars will run in the Group Three at Doomben,” Ryan said.
“I’m not frightened of putting him against Sizzling.
“He ran a couple of placings behind him last season on wet tracks which he doesn’t like.”
Dances On Stars was second to Sizzling in the Listed Ken Russell Memorial Classic before racking up Group Two thirds behind him in the Champagne Classic and the Queensland Sires’ Produce Stakes.
Sizzling then won the Group One TJ Smith in which Dances On Stars was unplaced.
Meanwhile, Ryan will reassess the Magic Millions prospects of Dothraki after his fifth as the heavily-backed favourite in the Wyong lead-up last week.
The colt finished 5-1/2 lengths from the winner Assail who now heads the order of entry and the market for the Magic Millions Classic 2013 at the Gold Coast on January 12.
“He’s entered for Canterbury on Saturday but I’ll wait and see how he is,” Ryan said.
“I don’t really like backing them up after nine days, especially after a disappointment like last week.”