Five years after contesting the first 2yo race of the season, finishing unplaced behind the champion Pierro in the Breeders' Plate, Gerald Ryan's ageless warrior Red Excitement gave nothing else a chance when leading all the way in the $150,000 Group III Summer Cup (2000m) at Randwick on Boxing Day.
Perfectly rated by Adam Hyeronimus, Red Excitement came clear in the closing stages to win by three lengths from Foreign Prince (High Chaparral) with Shalmaneser (Teofilo) a length back in third. (photos Steve Hart).
It was the second stakes win for the 7yo son of Excites after the Listed Chester Manifold Stakes in January 2015. It advances his overall record to 12 wins, 3 seconds and 6 thirds from 39 starts with earnings of $795,345.
"He's been a good horse for years," Ryan said
"He's a 7yo having his first run at 2000 metres. A couple of times we were going to have a go at the Canberra Cup but things haven't gone right for him.
"We decided to run in the Villiers and today and if things went
"He's been a great old horse, he had twelve months off with a tendon injury".
A $32,500 purchase from the Evergreen Stud Farm draft at the 2011 Inglis Classic Yearling sale, Red Excitement is out of the Red Ransom (USA) mare Red Obsession, a half-sister to Listed winner Brayroan and to the dam of Golden Slipper and Magic Millions 2yo Classic winner Capitalist.
Red Obsession's dam Compulsion (Danehill) is a sister to Golden Slipper winner Merlene and a half-sister to Group 1 Newmarket Handicap winner Miss Pennymoney (Brocco).
Purchased at the 2012 Easter Broodmare sale for $12,000, Red Obsession has a 2yo colt by Tickets and a Lope De Vega colt in the
She was covered by Magic Albert last year but missed.
After beginning his stud career at Vinery Stud, Excites now stands at Springfields Stud at a fee of $4,400.
