“She’s gone six weeks now between runs,” he said. “She was scratched on Wednesday, but it’s got to the stage that she has to run.”

Sequista, a $100,000 daughter of D’Argento, is part of Ryan-Alexiou’s deep two-year-old ranks, which includes winners Blitzburg (Canonbury Stakes), King Of Pop (Black Opal Stakes), Skyhook (Pago Pago Stakes) and Grand Eagle. She is a $3.80 second elect with Sportsbet on Saturday with leading apprentice Braith Nock taking two kilograms off.

He said there were no targets in mind past Saturday for Sequista.

Ryan was more confident about the prospects of his other runner on the card, including First Mission, which is a $4 favourite in the 1400m Midway Handicap with apprentice Zac Wadick claiming two kilograms. The three-year-old Snitzel gelding, a $725,000 yearling buy, won his most recent start on a heavy 8 at Canterbury.

“He seems to get through it,” he said. “He’s not a big, strong, heavy horse that might struggle in heavy ground. He’s a light, athletic, nifty horse who gives the impression he handles it.

“The wet tracks he’s been on so far, he’s performed well on. Every heavy track is different, but he’s handled soft at Hawkesbury and Warwick Farm, and he handled heavy at Canterbury.

“He’s a nice horse; he’s got good ability.”

As for the Queensland winter carnival, Ryan said recently gelded three-year-old Just Party would fly the stable’s flag.

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“He’ll go up and run in the Fred Best Classic on Saturday week,” he said. “He’s come back good, and he ran well first up. He’ll race there then probably go to a race at Eagle Farm a couple of weeks later, then he might go to the Winx Guineas.”

Meanwhile, Tom Moxon will take over as Racing NSW chairman of stewards from June 1.

Moxon has been deputy chairman since November 2022 to Steve Railton, who is moving into a mentorship role that will include remotely officiating race meetings via the new stewards control room at Randwick.