Ryan attempts to calm Red Excitement

Gerald Ryan hopes Red Excitement (l) can settle better after his daring tactics when 2nd to Winx.

Gerald Ryan’s audacious plan to knock Winx off her stride in the Chelmsford Stakes continues to have an impact on his protagonist, Red Excitement.

Ryan’s breakaway strategy for the eight-year-old and Josh Parr at Randwick in September was ultimately futile as the champion mare wound up to win by a length.

The trainer said Red Excitement’s front-running initiative was a one-off, but the message was yet to register with the horse ahead of Saturday’s November Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill.

“He’s got it in his mind that he’s got to jump and run, rip and tear. We’ve got to teach him to settle again,” Ryan said.

“It was a one-off thing to try and win the race on that day but I might have upset the racing pattern.”

Red Excitement’s bold second was followed by unplaced finishes in the Group One George Main Stakes – behind Winx – and the Epsom Handicap.

Rory Hutchings had instructions to ride Red Excitement conservatively during his last start in the Listed Ladies Day Cup (1400m) at Hawkesbury but he set the tempo again before fading to last.

“We’ll try it again to ride him quiet and get cover so he can come back, relax and then hit the line hard,” Ryan said.

He thought giving Red Excitement a nine-day back up for the first time might also take the edge off him.

Red Excitement is a $13 chance in the TAB’s early market with the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Cabeza De Vaca the $2.60 favourite on Thursday.

Ryan also has Heliosphere and Pipeline back in action after spells.

Heliosphere resumes in a Benchmark 74 Handicap (1200m) with an eye to the colt eventually stepping up to 2000-metres.

“We’d like to get him to 2000 and you’d like to think he’d run the journey. His grandmother (Limitless) won a Brisbane Cup in when it was 3200,” Ryan said.

Unless wet weather intervenes Pipeline will line up in a Benchmark 80 Handicap (1200m), his first start since a strained ligament curtailed his previous preparation in January.