Tick off another box for Snitzel's high-class son Trapeze Artist who showed he was up for a fight when outpointing a stubborn Le Romain in Saturday's $600,000 Group 1 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m).
Given a peach of a ride by Tye Angland, Trapeze Artist came from one out and one back while Jason Collett was forced to make some use of Le Romain to race outside of the leader Showtime.
The pair collared Showtime at the 300 metres and settled down to a stirring finish with Trapeze Artist edging Le Romain by a hard-fought head with Showtime one and a quarter lengths back in third. (photos Steve Hart)
On a day of fast times, Trapeze Artist set a track record time of 1.20.33, a hundredth of a second quicker than that set by another Ryan-trained galloper, Solicit.
While it was recently suggested that Trapeze Artist would race on with the Everest the stated goal, Ryan said owner Bert Vierra was sure to come under increasing pressure
"It's on again," Ryan said. "I've done my job. He's won his three Group Ones this season, so I can't do much more with him.
"He got the job done so it's onwards and upwards hopefully. I'd like to see him racing but that's out of my hands.
"There's a lot of dollars involved.
"I reckon if he went out now and had six or seven weeks break, he might come back the fair dinkum top of the world horse as a four-year-old.
"I just hope we get the chance to show it.
"I'd like to see him keep racing, come back for an Everest. He'd be sensational in that."
With his third Group 1 victory, Trapeze Artist advances his record to 6 wins and 2 thirds from 16 starts with earnings of $3,102,850.
It puts another dagger in the heart of buyers that failed to meet his $130,000 reserve at the 2016 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Viera purchased the colt's dam Treppes (Domesday) for $190,000 out of the Edinburgh Park draft at the 2014 Magic Millions National Broodmare sale.
She was carrying Trapeze Artist at the time of her sale.
A half-sister to Group I Stradbroke Handicap winner Crawl and the multiple Listed winner Old Man, Treppes has had a series of misfortunes since foaling Trapeze Artist. She missed the following two seasons then her Zoustar colt died after birth.
Treppes has a filly foal by Wandjina and was bred back to Snitzel last spring.
Snitzel continues to extend his lead for Champion Stallion and his seasonal total is likely to set a mark that will take some time to topple.
