Gosford Next for Summer Cup Winner Red Excitement

Rosehill horseman Gerald Ryan has confirmed a Gosford Cup target next-up for his runaway Summer Cup winner on Boxing Day Red Excitement.

Red Excitement

Summer Cup winner Red Excitement heads towards the Gosford Gold Cup on January 13. Photo: Steve Hart.

In his first test at 2000m the evergreen seven-year-old son of Excites outstayed his rivals on Monday at Royal Randwick with an all-the-way victory in the $150,000 Group 3 Summer Cup (2000m).

Partnering with hoop Adam Hyeronimus for the first time, Red Excitement went from strength to strength in a “weak” edition of the handicap showdown continuing to up the speed over the 2000m.

He was never getting run down and enjoyed a brilliant three length success over the David Payne-trained runner up Foreign Prince.

In a juicy Summer Cup trifecta the roughie of the field Shalmaneser narrowly held off the beaten favourite Malice (4th) running third a further length back.

“I’ve never ridden him [before],” Hyeronimus told the media post-win.

“Gerald’s done a tremendous job with the horse as well. Josh [Parr] told me a bit how to ride him saying he’s a bit one-paced, but he can sustain his run for a long time.

“Today’s race was weak [for a Group 3]. He got in well with the weights and he had it very soft in front for the majority of the race and horse – no matter what it is – to get those type of sectionals over 2000 metres are always going to be very hard to run down.”

Ryan never had any doubts Red Excitement would see out a strong 2000m having worked hard to convince part-owner Artie Laing to give the horse a go over the increased distance.

“I said to Artie Laing then, ‘I reckon this horse needs to go to 2000 metres’. And he said, ‘he’ll never run 2000 metres’,” Ryan told The Sydney Morning Herald post-win on Monday.

“He’s a lot older and stronger now and you have to remember he’s a seven-year-old that’s gone to 2000 metres for the first time and he’s brained them.”

Red Excitement posted his fourth victory from nine runs at the Randwick track and his 12th win overall during a 39-start career that has netted close to $800,000 in prize money for connections.

Ryan was originally worried the horse would be out-weighted for his next summer target, the $150,000 Listed Gosford Gold Cup (2100m) on January 13.

He has since confirmed the Gosford race after Red Excitement pulled up from his Summer Cup success in top order.

“I have always thought he would get 2000 metres,” he said.

“The Gosford Cup is where he goes next. He’s pulled up well.”

About The Author

Lucy Henderson

Lucy is an experienced horse racing journalist that has been a crucial member of the horseracing.com.au team for the better part of a decade. She has taken great delight in covering champion mares Black Caviar and Winx throughout their careers and always has a soft spot for a winning filly.