Patrick Ryan-trianed Ferago wins restricted race at Moonee Valley

Ferago with Craig Williams in the saddle defeated Strawberry Rock by three lengths with Mimi's Award back in third place to take out the 2500 metre contest. The lightly-raced galloper was to make his jumps debut in a maiden hurdle at Ballarat on August 28 but Ryan said Ferago will continue running on the flat for the rest of this campaign.

"It was an impressive victory," Ryan said. "That's the end of Ferago running in jumps races this year. While he's in such good flat form we'll keep on going down that path and set him for the jumps races in 2023.

"There's another flat race over 2500 metres at Moonee Valley on August 20. It's a similar type of race to today's event so that's where we'll be going for his next start.."

Ryan said there are similarities between his Warrnambool Cup winner Video Star and Ferago.

"They were both cast of horses from other trainers," he said. "We never paid much for Video Star and he went on and won a Warrnambool Cup while we paid $5500 for Ferago and he's now won more than $170,000 in stakes for us from a handful of starts.

"I've got to give a lot of credit to Daniel Small. He's done a lot of work with Ferago and really turned the attitude of the horse around.

"I think Ferago has really thrived being out at our farm and working on the beach. It was a great ride by Craig Williams and I should acknowledge Craig's manager Jason Bren who chased up the ride for Craig."

From his 17 starts Ferago has won four races.

Home Rule trained by fellow Warrnambool trainer Maddie Raymond won the final city race of the 2021-22 racing season, winning a restricted race over 1200 metres at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

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