Steele Ryan hopes to get a guide as to whether the right decision was made not to quit training six months ago when his first metropolitan starters of the year are unveiled at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.Ryan was on the verge of handing in his trainer's licence at the start of the season due to his heavy workload combining training with running a building products company in Brisbane."I had 20 horses in work then and I made a conscious decision to cut back my stable to eight," Ryan said."I sent a lo
Steele Ryan hopes to get a guide as to whether the right decision was made not to quit training six months ago when his first metropolitan starters of the year are unveiled at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.
Ryan was on the verge of handing in his trainer's licence at the start of the season due to his heavy workload combining training with running a building products company in Brisbane.
"I had 20 horses in work then and I made a conscious decision to cut back my stable to eight," Ryan said.
"I sent a lot of them to Stu Kendrick and Garnett Taylor in north Queensland and it's worked both ways as they've sent a couple to me.
"But it was still very difficult getting up around 4.00am to train the horses and do my job as the managing director of the company.
"A lot of things have to be considered including family so I gave a lot of thought to handing in my licence.
"I was just about to go in and hand in my licence when my father (John Ryan) asked me to give it another go for a year.
"I'm a bit dirty on him now cause I've gone from eight to 12 horses in work."
Ryan has decided to give himself another year training before he reconsiders his future.
"I'll give it another year and if a nice horses comes along and keeps me interested I'll probably stay on," he said.
Ryan, who has three runners engaged at Eagle Farm, has had only two starters this year with Susashi and Thunder Lane who were beaten at Ipswich and Caloundra respectively.
His trio on Wednesday are Susashi in Drumbeats@Lyndhurst Maiden Handicap (1200m), Elite Ateates in the skyracing.tv Maiden Handicap (1000m) and Little Audrey in the Brisbane Bloodstock Maiden Plate (1000m).
Ryan will pay close attention to the performance of his Exceed And Excel filly Elite Ateates.
"She was too immature and didn't run as a two-year-old," Ryan said.
"She won a trial quite impressively at Deagon last week but she has more upside to her than what we'll see from her tomorrow.
"I think she's fit enough and has got a good each-way chance."
Elite Ateates' mother Ateates was a multiple Group Two winner and was placed in the Group One Goodwood Handicap (1200m) at Morphettville in 2001.