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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Blake Ryan says six seconds and just one win doesn’t tell the full story about the lightly raced Strawberry Impact and he’s adamant his record will look a lot better by this time next year.

Trainer Blake Ryan (Pic: Bradley Photos).

That said, Ryan believes he’s giving the gelding a very good chance to notch a second win in the Novocastrian Electrical Midway Handicap (1600m) at Newcastle on Saturday.

The Hawkesbury trainer scratched Strawberry Impact from the midweeks, where he came up favourite, to chase double the prizemoney and he’s buoyed by the market telling him that he has made the right move.

“It’s been more frustrating for me with him running those seconds as opposed to being a detriment on the horse because I don’t think it’s a lack of a desire,’’ he said.

“He’s got more ability than a horse that’s won one from 10 and run six seconds.

“I’d rather him run six seconds than six sixths. He’s been very good without winning lately.”

Strawberry Impact was $2.10 with TAB on Thursday to break through having run second behind Rotagilla at Randwick two weeks ago.

Feedback from jockey Alysha Collett out of that race was that the gelding’s wheels spun in the soft ground which further confirmed Ryan’s thoughts that he’s better on firmer going.

“He manages to get through softer ground but it dulls him a little bit,’’ he said.

“A couple of days I was expecting him to go to the races and just win and they were soft tracks with big weights and maybe he was just good enough to run second without handling it.

“He’s a horse I have a lot of time for. You’re not going to see the best of this horse for another 12 months.”

Ryan is keen to stretch Strawberry Impact out to 2000m in time but he’s just holding him back a while as the horse figures the game out.

“He needs to race properly to do it and he’s just getting a bit aggressive mid race at times that’s why I haven’t gone there with him yet,’’ he said.

“I want to give his the chance while he’s maturing to get things right before I go there.”

Tommy Berry has the ride on Strawberry Impact at Newcastle and Ryan said the horse hasn't missed a beat in the past two weeks.

He won’t be giving Berry any instructions but said if the four-year-old can put himself in a more stalking position naturally he’d not be against that.

“He’s not really quick out so it lends him to being dictated to a little bit,’’ he said.

“Good jockeys don’t need them and bad ones don’t follow them, I’m not going to tell Tommy what to do. He’s ridden him before, I’ll just tell him how the horse has done.

“I wouldn’t want to come out firing him up because we want to eventually get him out in trip but if he can put himself in a spot I’m not going to tell Tommy to disappoint him.

“He has hit a bit of a flat spot at times and if he’s closer and he does it’ll help him as well.”

Strawberry Impact runs second at Randwick on November 1

Meanwhile, Ryan has his sights set on chasing a stakes win for talented mare Lady Extreme when she returns to racing in the new year.

The mare has won five of her 15 starts and will be finishing her spell in the next week or so.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s meeting at Newcastle