Lion Red goes the distance

Lion Red defied a sprinting pedigree when his connections toasted the five-year-old’s successful middle distance debut at Ellerslie. The WS-bred and sold son of Fast ‘N’ Famous made the step up to 2200 metres at northern headquarters with ease for trainer Shaun Clotworthy and owners Markwood Lodge.

The gelding’s previous two wins had come over a metric mile and he was aided in his first try over ground by a patient ride from Alysha Collett. She drove Lion Red between runners close to home with a performance that gave Clotworthy further reason to be confident about the horse’s future staying prospects.

A $19,000 Select Sale yearling in 2010, Lion Red is out of the O’Reilly mare Lucerne who won four races up to 1200 metres. The pedigree also features stakes performed sprinters Smartway (Pins) and Lusso.

Collett later combined with the Garry Chittick-bred Pinzara for the third win of her career for the Auckland Racing Club Winners’ Circle Syndicate. She is a daughter of Pins and the Danasinga mare Barzar Babe and the family of the Gr 1 Turnbull Stakes winner Devil Moon.