Racing: Bookies see Red again

The Red Shirt Brigade syndicate made it three-in-a-row at Musselburgh when Red Galaxy carried their colours to victory in the Sea Hole Maiden Stakes.

Despite running green early on, she was really getting the hang of things in the closing stages, and taking up the running inside the final furlong, passed the post with two lengths to spare over Arran Pilot in the hands of Franny Norton.

The majority of the 28 members of the ’Red Brigade’ were present and with almost £40,000 (€65,000) having been staked in major bets on Red Galaxy there were plenty of smiling faces in the winner’s enclosure.

The filly is trained by Alan Berry, who also sent out Red Eagle to win the race in 2001 and Red Millennium 12 months earlier, and the syndicate’s racing manager Pete Murphy explained: ‘‘Franny said that Red Galaxy is as good as Red Millennium was at the same stage of their careers and she went on to win a Listed race at Bath.

‘‘The plan is to go the same route with this one as we did with Red Millennium and she will improve from this.

‘‘I don’t think she is bad for €6,900 is she?’’

And of Red Millennium, who has won four times to date, he went on: ‘‘She will run in a rated handicap at Newbury next week and then that Listed race at Bath.’’

Norton completed a 38-1 double when the Richard Whitaker-trained Sally Traffic opened her account in the Table Fillies’ Maiden Sprint Handicap.

Whitaker’s son Simon explained: ‘‘She showed a lot of speed last season, but then got sore shins and lost her confidence.’’

A bet of £50,000 (€81,000) to win £40,000 (€65,000) on School Days bit the dust when the Michael Bell-trained daughter of Derby winner Slip Anchor, finished only seventh to Alan Swinbank’s Pearson Glen, who was ridden by Roddy Lappin in the Links Maiden Stakes while another big bet, £56,000 (€91,000) to £16,000 (€26,000), went astray on Mick Channon’s Analyze who finished only seventh behind Mister Rambo in the Panda Handicap.