13 Mar 2024A Group 1 challenge awaits Red Sea next month following the youngster’s runaway success over 1200 metres at Matamata.
Our homebred and raced son of Pierata was sent out a short-priced favourite and justified his support with an effortless victory.
Red Sea’s success has confirmed plans for a crack at the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes over 1400 metres at Trentham with his odds for the two-year-old feature on April 6 cut from $31 to $12.
“We’ll head that way and Cambridge Stud will want to, it’s a NZB Kiwi bonus race and they have got a slot,” trainer Andrew Forsman said.
“It’s the logical play to have a crack so we’ll see how we go.”
Red Sea was quickly into stride for rider Warren Kennedy to lead and they forged clear 250 metres off the post to coast home by 3.3l.
“In a perfect world, we would have wanted a couple to follow, but Warren realised there wasn’t going to be a heap of early pressure, so he took up the running,” trainer Andrew Forsman said.
“He’s a good galloper and hopefully he will improve off that, he will need to because he’ll be going up to another level.”
Red Sea had finished runner-up in his summer debut behind subsequent Listed Karaka Million and G1 Sistema Stakes winner Velocious and was then fifth in the G2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes after a tardy start and a wide run without cover.
He was subsequently freshened and returned last month to run fourth in the G3 Matamata Slipper.
“He put it all together nicely today and was spot on. He needed that first-up run, he was a bit underdone, and the blinkers have helped as well,” Forsman said.
Red Sea is from a decorated sprinting family as a grandson of the former high-class performer Our Egyptian Raine, the winner of 10 races including the G1 Railway Stakes.
She also placed at the highest level in the Lightning Stakes, Doomben 10,000 (twice), Invitation Stakes, Australia Stakes, Telegraph Handicap, All-Aged Stakes, Manikato Stakes and the Invitation Stakes.
Red Sea is out of the Commands mare Egyptian Queen, who was successful twice up to 1200 metres.
She is also the dam of multiple winners Commands The Field and Hard To Cross and has produced a pair of colts by Almanzor since Red Sea.