Any horse that can win a barrier trial by 13 lengths is obviously going well but trainer Gerald Ryan is not getting carried away with Red Excitement’s latest outing.

The five-year-old will be aiming for successive stakes wins when he runs in Saturday’s Group Three Carlyon Cup (1600m) at Caulfield.

He tuned up with a trial over 1030 metres at Rosehill on Tuesday, putting a space between himself at He’s Your Man.

“He couldn’t help but win,” Ryan said.

“He was in front and a lot of the horses behind him were not extended and were backing off him.

“He wasn’t pulling away.

“In saying that he’s in good order and ready for the 1600 metres now.”

Mark Zahra will replace the suspended Brenton Avdulla on Red Excitement who has won his two starts back from a long injury lay-off, the most recent the Listed Chester Manifold Stakes on January 17 at Flemington.

Before a tendon problem forced him off the scene, Red Excitement put together three successive wins in Sydney.

Ryan’s affection for Red Excitement is not just because of the effort to get him back to the track.

“He gets his head down low and sticks his neck out. He just wants to win,” he said.

The weather will determine whether Ryan has two runners at Caulfield with Black Opal Stakes winner Lucky Raquie to be entered for the Group Three Kevin Hayes Stakes and the Group Two Light Fingers at Randwick, both over 1200 metres.

“She wants a dry track so if it’s wet in Sydney she will go to Melbourne and vice versa,” Ryan said.

“The Light Fingers is shaping up as a cracking race.”

The Light Fingers will be headed by Group One winners Amicus (Thousand Guineas), First Seal (Flight Stakes) and the Ryan-trained Peggy Jean (Sires’ Produce).

Peggy Jean had two unplaced starts in the spring and Ryan and her owners opted to end the campaign with the autumn in mind.

“She has come back a lot bigger and stronger,” Ryan said.

“She has put on about 25 kilos and looks terrific. I think she is in for a good campaign.”

Article from justhorseracing.com.au