Red letter day

Red Ransom has been enjoying a successful spell of late in the southern hemisphere and the Dalham Hall resident recorded a further two Stakes winners on 1 March, with victory for Martini Red and Portillo in the G3 Darley Plate and Listed Gimcrack Stakes respectively.

On Derby day at Ellerslie in New Zealand, three-year-old filly Martini Red swept past a field of talented sprinters to record a convincing length-and-a-half win in the six-furlong Darley Plate. This G3 victory was her third at Black type level, having also won a pair of Listed contests as a juvenile.

Meanwhile at Randwick in Australia, two-year-old filly Portillo broke her maiden in tremendous style, winning the five-and-a-half furlong Gimcrack Stakes.

Red Ransom, who stands at a fee of £25,000 October 1st Special live foal, has now sired four individual Stakes winners this year and a further two horses that have been placed at Stakes level including G1 Blue Diamond Stakes runner-up All American.

Meanwhile at the sales, Exceed And Excel was leading sire on the opening day of the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, with his five yearlings sold averaging A$205,000. Shamardal was leading first-season sire on the day with an average of A$145,000.