Gerald Ryan has implemented a more relaxed training regime for Red Excitement and believes it is doing the trick.
At his most wound-up, Red Excitement put Winx to the sword in the Group Two Chelmsford Stakes in September, only to have the great mare show him who was boss late in the race.
Red Excitement established a big lead before Winx ran him down to win by a length.
The gelding was disappointing in his next three starts but pleased his trainer in his most recent race when fifth, less than three lengths from the winner Cabeza De Vaca who will be among his opponents in Saturday’s Group Three Festival Stakes (1500m).
“I may have been doing too much with him,” Ryan said.
“I’ve backed off him a bit and I was very pleased with how he settled back last time.
“He didn’t have a lot of room but went to the line well and he will comes down around two kilos on last time when he carried 62.”
Red Excitement finished third in the Festival Stakes last year behind Sweet Redemption and Hazzabeel.
He went on to win the Summer Cup (2000m) and the Listed Gosford Cup (2100m) beating subsequent Group One winner Sense Of Occasion.
The Chris Waller stable is likely to have three runners – Good Project, Mister Seawolf and Liapari.
Good Project hasn’t won since he took out the 2015 Group One Railway Stakes at Ascot in Perth. He finished second in the 1600m-race a year ago but failed to run a place in three spring starts this year.
He was a pleasing second in a 1030m-barrier trial at Rosehill on Friday in which Mister Seawolf was third.
Liapari won two races in the winter and will be having his first start since July.
