When he left the riding ranks at 22, Ryan said he struggled.
“It’s well documented that I lost my way. I was quite lost during this period. I didn’t think about coming back,” Ryan said.
His love of the horse never wavered, but as he couldn’t ride them, he walked away from the industry.
He didn’t have a plan to get back into the industry, but it managed to find him. After five years away from racing, Ryan started to help Albury trainer Brett Cavanough break horses in.
“This got me back around the horse and from there, it grew legs. I got my NSW trainers licence and started training at Albury. It didn’t take much to rekindle the passion,” he said.
“I bought a couple of horses to trial at Caulfield and Ciaron Maher grabbed hold of me and told me to stay, which I did for 12 months.”
Ryan returned to Flemington, where it all started for him, in 2021.
“It’s been big for me getting back here as it’s where I did my apprenticeship and where my grandfather trained. To have 32 boxes now at Flemington is very satisfying.”
He is supported by a dedicated team, including his mother, Deb Gordon, who has had an association with racing her entire life. “I was only eight years old when I began mucking out boxes at Flemington. Dad was foreman for Tommy Hughes for 20 years before taking out his own licence. By the age of 10 I was riding one horse and leading two down Ascot Vale Road into Flemington every morning before school! I worked for auction houses and later managed Nick when he became a jockey.”
Her role as office manager at Nick Ryan Racing is a busy and fulfilling one. “No day is the same in the office and I handle enquiries and issues from A to Z. We have 45 horses on course at Flemington and the same number again in the paddocks and much of my day is answering any inquiries from the owners.”
It is clear that with his racing lineage, the support of his family in the business, and a determination to excel, Ryan, who has now achieved the biggest win of his career with the help of Damien Oliver, is sure to be a standout contender to watch.