Spring in full bloom

For Ryan, there is something particularly special about this time of year.

Spring brings new growth, renewed energy and, of course, the challenge of ensuring Flemington’s iconic roses are ready to put on their annual show.

“I just love coming to Flemington each day and working with like-minded people who also have a passion for the place,” Ryan said.

That passion has been a constant since Ryan first arrived at Flemington for work experience in 1989. Offered an apprenticeship the following year, he could never have imagined that the racecourse would still be home more than 30 years later.

Today, he still gets his greatest satisfaction from seeing the work of his team come to fruition.

But even with decades of experience, nature remains firmly in charge.

As the days grow longer and the colour begins to return, thousands of roses start their journey towards one of the most anticipated periods on the Flemington calendar. Behind the scenes, however, there is a team working year-round to ensure the racecourse looks its very best when spring arrives.

At the heart of it is Mick Ryan.

For more than three decades, Flemington has been Ryan’s second home. Head of Grounds and Gardens, he leads the team responsible for maintaining the world-class grounds that have become as much a part of Flemington’s identity as the famous straight, the grandstand and the horses themselves.

Melbourne’s famously unpredictable weather means there is no exact formula when it comes to gardening, particularly when it comes to the timing of the roses. A change in temperature or an unexpected stretch of weather can alter even the best-laid plans.

It is a challenge Ryan has come to embrace.

The pressure of timing the blooms, combined with the scale and significance of the Flemington gardens, ensures no two seasons are ever quite the same. And as spring gathers momentum, the work only intensifies.

Ryan’s journey to leading the Grounds and Gardens team was shaped by one particularly important figure: his mentor, Terry Freeman.

“He guided me when I lost my father when I was young,” Ryan said. “He gave me a start here at Flemington and taught me everything he knew.”

Together, the pair helped create the world-class gardens Flemington is renowned for.

When Freeman retired in 2019 after 43 years in the top job, Ryan took the reins in a natural succession. It was a career-defining moment for someone whose connection to Flemington had been built over decades.

Since then, Ryan has continued to make his own mark, leading the next chapter while preserving the standards and traditions that make the venue so distinctive.

And while the gardens are his professional passion, Ryan’s love for Flemington extends well beyond the flower beds.

He is also captivated by the horses.

“There is nothing like being along the Flemington straight and listening to the thunder of their hooves as they accelerate past you,” he said. “It gives me goosebumps.”

As spring unfolds and Flemington once again comes alive with colour, those famous roses will provide a spectacular backdrop to another season of racing.

For Ryan and his team, it is the culmination of months — and, in many ways, years — of planning, preparation and care.

And as the first blooms begin to appear, there is only one thing to say: at Flemington, spring is coming up roses.