Fourth stakes win for Into The Red

Trainer Kelso Wood reckons a long break enforced by an injury 12 months ago has been the making of talented 5YO Into The Red. The 5YO gelding collected his fourth stakes win and first Group success in Saturday’s $175,000 Qld Tatt’s RC W.J. Healy S. 1200m G3.

Wood said, “It allowed him to mature mentally and he’s turned into a lovely horse now. The injury he had was always going to heal and he’s only just starting to realise his potential.”

Into The Red prevailed by a half-head from Robert Heathcote’s Saluter to deliver the 21st black type win for Team Not A Single Doubt this season. The gelding also won the Bribie H. LR in April, more than ten months after his previous start, and was then fifth in the Lightning H. LR earlier this month. 

Watch Into The Red’s W.J. Healy S. G3 win.

The Healy Stakes win was especially significant for rider Luke Dittman who completed the last day of his apprenticeship on Saturday.

Wood plans now to keep Into The Red to short-course sprints. “You need to get him in a race where there’s a lot of speed and if that eventuates then he’s awfully hard to beat. He’s a sit-and-sprint horse and when he lets go he can really sprint hard at the end of a race.”

Into The Wood (ex Red Sequin by Clay Hero) was bred by Todd McKeon & partners, and purchased for $100,000 by leading agent John Foote from Goodwood Farm’s draft at the 2012 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale.

His earnings from five wins, five placings and 25 starts now exceed $420,000 for his owners, Queensland property developer David Devine & his wife Diane, Mick Power, Neville Morgan & AFL legend Leigh Matthews, who also raced Snitzel’s Group 1-winning son Sizzling.

Into The Red is among the dozen stakeswinners that have helped to make this a milestone season for Not A Single Doubt, who is on track to end 2015/16 as Australia’s leading active sire with earnings second only to Darley’s outstanding, but sadly deceased sire Street Cry.