Lady Extreme’s stay at Blake Ryan’s stable was meant to be a short one, but a last-minute phone call changed the mare’s future. Owner-breeder Luke Wilkinson had planned to retire the mare unraced and send her to the broodmare barn. “She arrived on the Friday morning, booked to head to Melbourne on Monday night,” Ryan explained. “Then Luke rang me that morning and said, ‘Do you want to have a crack with her? No expectations.’”

That opportunity turned into a career-defining moment. Lady Extreme has since raced 12 times, recording five wins and earning $270,000 in prizemoney. She lines up again this Saturday in the Congratulations James McDonald Handicap at Rosehill, coming off a sixth-place finish in the Ramornie Handicap (1200m) at Grafton.

Ryan says she has returned in excellent order but acknowledges that Saturday’s test will be her biggest yet, as she tackles 1400m for the first time on a likely heavy track while carrying 60.5kg. “She always gives 110 per cent,” Ryan said. “We know she handles wet tracks, but with the big weight and the extra trip, there’s a bit of the unknown.”

The mare has become a vital horse for Ryan’s Hawkesbury yard, having won two of her three starts this campaign. “Finding a genuine Saturday-class horse is massive for a smaller stable,” Ryan said. “When you win midweek, you might get a few messages, but a Saturday win changes everything.”

Ryan currently has 35 boxes, with about a dozen horses trialling or racing and a number of young prospects in the pipeline. “Lady Extreme has been a big boost for us,” Ryan said. “I’ve got one of her, but it would be great to find another three or four.”