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Ryan will saddle Mahamedeis and Sircconi for Feehan Stakes at The Valley on Saturday.
Nick Ryan may not be one of Victoria's highest profile trainers, but he is the only one who will have multiple runners in the $250,000 Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) at The Valley on Saturday.
A former champion apprentice, Ryan has a boutique stable at Caulfield and will saddle Mahamedeis and Sircconi in Saturday's weight-for-age feature.
The pair, along with last Saturday's Caulfield winner Express Pass, are the stable stars and the trainer is expecting his Feehan runners to be competitive on Saturday.
Sircconi has met with support with TAB Fixed Odds, firming from $7 into $5.50 and further into $4.80 after it was announced Regal Power will miss Saturday's race and return home to Perth.
Mahamedeis is a $8.50 chance, in from $10, while Surprise Baby heads the betting at $2.80 ahead of Harbour Views at $3.90.
A winner of the Listed Winter Championship Final at Flemington in July, Sircconi has finished second at his past two starts.
He was run down late by Savatiano in the Group 2 P B Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 15 before just failing to run down In Good Health in the Listed Heatherlie Stakes (1700m) at Caulfield last Saturday.
Ryan said it was always the intention to back up and the horse had spent a lot of time at the beach during the week preparing for Saturday's race.
"He hasn't been to The Valley for a long time, but he is rock hard fit," Ryan told RSN927.
"He's certainly the fittest and soundest he's ever been with me and if you're ever going to go there over the mile at this stage of the prep, this should be the time."
Mahamedeis finished second behind Homesman in last year's Feehan, but is coming off a different campaign this year.
The gelding raced through the winter months posting dual wins at Caulfield and a last start success The Valley whereas last year Mahamedeis was coming off a midfield finish in a sprint race two weeks prior to the Feehan.
"He's dropping back in distance, but we've freshened him right up," Ryan said.
"He had about 10 days in the paddock after his last win, we've shortened his work load up, shortened his gallops to get a bit of ping back in him.
"The horse is in a great space and he does have a liking for The Valley."
