WA jockey Shaun McGruddy booked to ride quality sprinter Red Can Man in Heath 1100 Stakes at Caulfield

WA hoop Shaun McGruddy will maintain his association with Red Can Man when he rides the quality sprinter in the Group 3 Heath 1100 Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday week. The Steve Wolfe-trained gelding flew to Melbourne on Wednesday night and settled in well at the Flemington stables of trainer Mathew Ellerton. McGruddy, 40, is excited to make his Victorian debut on Red Can Man, who won the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield last year for trainer David Brideoake. Wolfe is preparing Red Can Man himself for the Gingerbread Man gelding’s second Victorian campaign. “I think loyalty has to be rewarded in this game and Shaun has stuck with us for a long time,” Wolfe said. “He knows the horse well. He can ride the horse in his gallop next Tuesday and stay if he wants to. “The horse is as good as ever and hopefully he’s fit enough. “The opposition will always be stiff when you go over there, so we’ll see how we go.” A winner at eight of 30 starts, Red Can Man warmed up for his return with a strong trial win at Lark Hill last week. The six-year-old was also placed in the Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield last year and ran seconds to gun WA sprinter Elite Street in the Northam Stakes (1100m) and Roma Cup (1200m) in May. There will be strong WA representation at Caulfield next week, with reigning Railway Stakes hero Western Empire set for the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) and star mares Graceful Girl and Kissonallforcheeks set for the Group 2 Cockram Stakes (1200m). Showmanship will also be in action for WA owners Bob and Sandra Peters on Saturday after missing last week’s Regal Roller Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield with an elevated temperature. The Danny O’Brien-trained gelding will head to Randwick for the Group 3 Show County Quality (1200m), despite also being an acceptor in the Carlyon Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley. “It was 50-50 but I think the 1000 might be too short for him,” Bob Peters said. “It will be a good introduction to going up there in case he needs to again this spring. “He got over that (elevated temperature) pretty quick.” Champion WA hoop William Pike was in contention to ride Showmanship but with the uncertainty over which State he would race in, he took the ride on the Team Hawkes-trained Electric Girl. James McDonald will ride Showmanship. Meanwhile, former Godolphin sprinter Pandemic will be aimed at the $1.5 million Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) after he was bought by WA co-trainers Chris and Michael Gangemi. The Sepoy gelding has won five races, including the Listed Christmas Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield in 2020, and was second to Savatoxl in last year’s McKay Stakes (1100m) at Morphettville. “He’s a really promising horse that we’ve kept an eye on for a long time,” Michael Gangemi said. “If we can get him back to his best, his best is Group level here. “He’s acclimatised well and has just completed pre-training.” Stable star Massimo will join Pandemic in the Winterbottom rather than tackling the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m). The Sessions gelding won last year’s Group 2 Lee-Steere Stakes (1400m). “He’ll freshen up after the Lee-Steere for the Winterbottom and then go to the Gold Rush,” Michael Gangemi said.