Excites two-year-old Red Excitement can force his way into next month’s $3.5m Golden Slipper Stakes with a bold showing expected in tomorrow’s Group 2 Todman Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill.
The Neville Layt trained youngster has proven raw ability and finished just 5-lens behind Todman rivals Epaulette and Faustus in a hotly-contested Canberra Black Opal on March 11 at his most recent start.
”I think Red Excitement will be better suited by the smaller field tomorrow at Rosehill,” Vinery Stud’s Conor Phelan commented.
”He showed a lot at pace very early on but when he won at Canberra two starts ago he came from last of the 9 runners to win pretty easily at the end, back markers were not favoured on Black Opal Day”.
”So it would seem that he can adapt to whatever unfolds in the race tomorrow and the slow track probably evens out the field a bit.
”He will no doubt be a better three year old but there are only seven runners in the Todman,” Phelan said, ”so this is a great chance for him to snare some early black type.”
Excites, winner of the Group 1 AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at only his third career outing has made a tremendous opening to his stud career.
First crop members include the ace Queensland filly, Amber’s Crown, who has won half of her 12 starts and earned over $250,000 so far.
Meanwhile over in WA. front-running 3YO Flag Officer is on the second line of betting to win the Group 2 WATC Derby (2400m) after winning the Listed T.J. Smith Trophy (1600m) at Ascot on March 3.
The Paul Jordan trained gelding led them up in the Listed WATC J.C Roberts Stakes (1800m) last Saturday only to be grabbed in the shadows of the post finishing a nose second to Derby favourite, Rohan.
