Red Eclipse scores upset win in Spring Stakes

Murray Bridge trainer Grant Young will chase more Stakes prizemoney with Red Eclipse after the seven year old scored an upset win in the Group 3 $120,000 David Coles AM Spring Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville last Saturday.

Spring Stakes winner Red Eclipse will head to the Penny Edition Stakes at Morphettville Parks. Photo by Jenny Barnes.

Spring Stakes winner Red Eclipse will head to the Penny Edition Stakes at Morphettville Parks. Photo by Jenny Barnes.

Even though Red Eclipse was sent at the lucrative odds of $26, Young wasn’t surprised by the one and a half lengths win over Whitlam ($9) and the more fancied Richie’s Vibe ($4.60) while the $2.80 favourite Riziz finished in fourth spot.

Red Eclipse also left in his wake Group 1 winners Happy Trails ($10), who finished sixth and Go Indy Go ($11) who raced midfield before slipping back to eight spot.

“He’s a very fit horse,” Young told The Advertiser.

“I thought he could do that. We’ve been aiming him at this race for a very long time.”

Young is likely to head back to Morphettville Parks in a fortnight for the Listed $100,000 Penny Edition Stakes (1400m) with Red Eclipse who made it back to back wins last weekend in the Spring Stakes after winning at Morphettville Parks at his previous week in a 1250m BenchMark 82 Handicap.

Talented Adelaide apprentice Sigrid Carr was having her first ride on the seven year old and after settling midfield in the early stages, worked into the race at the right time before scoring a comfortable win at the end.

“It was actually a pretty soft win in the end,” Carr said.

“He felt really good when I asked him to go.”

Happy Trails was always going to find the 1200m of the Spring Stakes too short first up and with that run under his belt will be better suited over the 1400m of the Group 1 $400,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes at Caulfield in three weeks.

“We will go the Memsie, Underwood, Turnbull and Cox Plate everything going well,” trainer Paul Beshara said.

C0-trainer Leon Macdonald also expects his Group 1 wining mare Go Indy Go to improve as the distances get longer as she heads towards a possible start in the Group 1 $3m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 17.

Go Indy Go capped off her juvenile season with a win in the Group 1 $400,000 Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Carnival but failed to impress at her subsequent Spring campaign.

“She raced below her best in the Spring so we decided to give her the Autumn off and see if we could get her right,” Macdonald said.

Go Indy Go was having her first run last Saturday since running seventh to Set Square in the Group 1 $1m Crown Oaks (2500m) at Flemington on November 6.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.