Red Letter returns to winning ways in Killarney

Irish Examiner

16-07-2025

Red Letter got back to winning ways in Wednesday night's feature in Killarney - the listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Cairn Rouge Stakes - and while the conditions required attrition, it left jockey Colin Keane and trainer Shane Lyons excited about what is yet to come from the Juddmonte filly.
Not beaten far in the Newmarket Guineas, and touched off in a listed race on her last race before coming here, she faced soft conditions this time but neither they nor the slow pace and, for that matter, the wide draw, was enough to deny the classy sort this return to the winner's enclosure.
Fiery Lucy proved a tough nut to crack but Keane was at his most persuasive in the straight and got his mount up late to shade the verdict.
'She's done it the hard way, being drawn wide and caught wide, and it was a good performance,' said Lyons.
'They've pulled a long way clear of the third horse, and it's a hardened listed horse that finished second.
'Colin was delighted the way she handled the ground. She'll get further, and he said, 'when she fills into her frame, she'll be some horse next year'. She's got the job done there.
'Colin said they didn't go quick enough for her. She's got championship cruising speed, and she'll need that for future races. It's a good thing to hear. He said if we got beaten, it would have been because they didn't go quickly enough.
'For future plans, we'll speak to connections, as we always do, but we're pretty excited about it after that.' Conor Cusack is making a splash in the early stages of his career and the 10lb claimer, whose first winner came last Saturday in Limerick, put a second on the board when giving Catena Zapata a fine ride in the Killarney Plaza Hotel & Spa Optional Claiming Race.
Trained, as was his previous winner, Stepdance, by Henry de Bromhead, with whom the young rider is based, Catena Zapata missed the kick but quickly latched on to the back of the pack and, with a confident and brave ride, Cusack exploited a gap next to the rails before pushing his mount clear to a smooth success.
Said the winning rider: 'He missed the break the last couple of times, and I was, if not half expecting it, thinking it could happen, but the blinkers definitely helped, and I got him back up to the pack quickly enough. I got a dream run around after that, and he went away and won well.
'Hopefully things keep going the way they're going, and I must say a massive thanks to Henry as he's trusted me with two nice horses.' Donnacha O'Brien likes to bring a useful sort to Killarney and in A Boy Named Susie, who made a winning debut in the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Race, he has another high-class prospect.
While the debutant was keen in the hands of Gavin Ryan, he showed a great attitude when matters got serious. Putting his head down and pinning back his ears, he strode clear in great style to win by three lengths.
'We thought he was good,' admitted the winning trainer, for whom he was a third winner in three days at this meeting. 'He did a really, really good bit of work at the Curragh a few weeks ago.
'This it was probably a tough ask as he was giving weight to a previous winner, and it's a tough track first time out, as well, but he's obviously just smart. This race has thrown up Iridessa, Luxembourg, and Lambourn last year, and a few Group 2 winners as well, and I think he could be a proper horse.'
The winner is owned by Donnacha's sister, Ana, who had a horrific fall here in July 2017, one which brought her riding days to an end.
'It's great for Ana,' O'Brien added. 'It's a better experience for her than the last time she was down here.'
Iron Fist and Hellorhighwater dominated the betting for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden and the race lived up to market expectation, with the former, trained by Jessica Harrington and ridden by Shane Foley, leading early and using his experience and class to fend off the persistent challenge of Hellorhighwater by three parts of a length, the pair 12 clear of the remainder.
Another to gain a richly deserved first success was the Chris Timmons-trained Still She Blooms, who made all the running and found plenty to win the Rose Hotel Handicap under a well-judged ride by Robbie Colgan.
Denis Hogan's team is on good form and Tassarolo, who was a winner over hurdles in June at Clonmel, put a first Flat win on his card when getting up late to take the Start Your Free Month Trial At racingtv.com Handicap under a strong ride by Joey Sheridan.
John Murphy put a seal on the meeting's Flat action when Love Sonnet took the finale, the Muckross Irish Gin Handicap. A winner at the May meeting here, the 6lb penalty vastly underestimated the filly as she coasted clear inside the final quarter of a mile and won, pulling up, by 11 lengths. The win provided Colin Keane with his second of the night, and fourth of the meeting.