Gerald Ryan has given up on winning a big Randwick mile with Red Excitement, rather honing his summer campaign around the 2000-metre mark that has proved to be successful in the past couple of years.
The nine-year-old, who famously gave Winx's one of her biggest scares when he opened up a huge break in the 2017 Chelmsford Stakes before, like all others, being run down, will follow the summer quality handicap program.
Summer lover: Red Excitement will look for back-to-back win in the Novemeber Topaz at Rosehill on SaturdayCredit:Richard Briggs
He started the preparation from a five-week break by winning the November Topaz Preview a fortnight ago and will look to add the Topaz itself to his 14 other wins at Rosehill on Saturday.
"There is a good program of races for him at this time of year with the ATC Cup, Summer Cup and Gosford Cup there for him," Ryan said. "He won the the Summer Cup and Gosford Cup two years ago and was second in them last year, so he goes well at Christmas.
"These races are all quality handicap, so he can’t really get any more weight than he has on Saturday, and he will face pretty similar fields.
"He is going well and really needs the 2000m to show his best these days."
Ryan gave Red Excitement a short break after running mid-field in the Epsom Handicap at the end of September and decided then not to go down the Villiers path.
"He has had plenty of goes at those big Randwick miles and is just that little off them," Ryan said. "He is a horse that will be on-pace and can keep going and, as he has got older, this trip is where he goes best.
"He is very fit and I can see this race being pretty similar to the preview he will be out in front and they will have to beat him."
Ryan will also take Tango Rain across the road to Rosehill after he came back from a struggling campaign in Melbourne.
"He is the type of horse that goes well on the track and if he brings that to a race like this he would be right in it," Ryan said. "You just don’t know which one you are going to get with him."
Ryan is looking forward to the return of inaugural Everest runner Deploy this summer. He will barrier trial at Rosehill on Monday with an eye to the summer sprint series.
"He had some bone bruising and chips removed and has had six months off. He has been working well and it is a good time to bring him back," Ryan said. "Deploy and Magic Alibi will trial on Monday and then we will aim them at the Starlight Stakes and Razor Sharp next month."
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