Crimson Light up to winning better races: Kent

Trainer Michael Kent says he has not been fair to Crimson Light through her brief career and believes she is up to winning better races than a midweek event at Sandown.

Resuming from a spell in the Tobin Brothers Celebrating Lives Handicap (1600m) on Wednesday, Crimson Light relished the wet ground to score a three-quarter length win and provide Carleen Hefel the first leg of a winning double.

Kent is already thinking towards an autumn campaign next year with the daughter of Redwood who registered her second win from seven career starts.

The trainer planned for Wednesday’s first-up success believing the mare only had one run over a shorter trip before requiring a step up in journey.

“I had her really ready,” Kent said.

“I had her ready to go in a seven-furlong (1400m) race here a couple of weeks ago, but she drew in.

“I said to the owners she can win first-up, so they were happy to wait for the mile (1600m) today.

“She had handled the wet before and I said you’ll only get one good fresh run out of her, so that was the plan and it worked.”

Kent said Crimson Light had always shown him ability on the track, adding however that his programming with the mare had not been ideal.

Crimson Light won her maiden at Pakenham before winding up her last preparation at Moonee Valley.

“We’ve always liked her, but we haven’t done the right thing by her having run her at Moonee Valley a number of times,” Kent said.

“She gets back and runs on and always runs really nice races, but I do think she is a mare with a future.

“I think she can win a race or two over the winter and then put her away for the autumn, which would be good for her.”

Kent said there was mares’ races coming up over a longer trip in the coming months that are likely to suit Crimson Light before she can have a break over the spring.

He said races like the Group 3 Epona Stakes at Rosehill and the Listed Centaurea Stakes at Morphettville could be suitable autumn targets for Crimson Light.

Kent was lamenting that the only Stakes races for mares, longer than 1600m, were the Epona and Centaurea Stakes along with the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes at Flemington in the spring.

Completing her double on Claidheamh Mor in the Evergreen Turf Handicap (2100m) Hefel now holds a two-win lead in the Melbourne Apprentices’ Premiership over Celine Gaudray.

— Racing.com (@Racing) June 28, 2023