Albany star Red Can Man going better than ever in his bid to claim glory in Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes

Trainer Steve Wolfe is confident Albany galloper Red Can Man can figure prominently in the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot on Saturday. Wolfe says Red Can Man is going better than ever in his bid to upset hot favourite Elite Street in the $1million feature. After a Victorian campaign, Red Can Man resumed in the Group 3 Colonel Reeves Stakes on November 13 and ran a bold fourth, beaten by just over a length by Elite Street. Wolfe’s stable jockey Shaun McGruddy will return from suspension to ride Red Can Man from barrier 11 with 58.5kg. Red Can Man meets Elite Street 2kg worse at the weights but a hot tempo is expected up front. “He’s as good as he can be, fitness won’t be a problem,” Wolfe said. “The only thing that hurts our chances is there is a hot favourite to beat and he drew a sticky gate. “We would have liked to drawn better but we can’t control that. “There’s a good horse in there called Elite Street but he’s as good as I can get him so hopefully he can get the job done. “They’re all good jockeys in the race but Shooter (McGruddy) is our number one stable jock so we give him the ride and hopefully he can do the rest.” The star five-year-old gelding runs at his preferred 1200m distance where he has chalked up three victories and he also boasts an imposing second-up record of three wins from five attempts. Red Can Man ran sixth in the same race last year behind Elite Street, who is listed as a $2.50 favourite for Saturday. “We would be disappointed if he didn’t finish top four, he has never been much better than what he is now,” Wolfe said. “It would be great to win something like this, these opportunities don’t come around often and it’s been great that over the past few years we had a chance to compete in these big races.” Red Can Man is currently a $15 chance on TABtouch. Meanwhile, Albany will have six horses in the $100,000 TABtouch Regional Championship Final: Road To Ascot (1200m) on the same day. Copping Points from the Wolfe stable won the Great Southern qualifying heat in Albany last Sunday and will jump from barrier five with Natasha Faithfull in the saddle. The Mark Westthorp-trained Little Punga finished sixth in the corresponding final last year at Ascot and will start from the outside gate in the field of 15. Kendel’s Mee Dad and Kazkazi, trained by Roy Rogers, along with Starauthoress from the Peter Western stable and Gerry Hughes’ Dynamite Bay will also fly the flag for Albany in the final. Albany’s Liam O’Loughlin will start talented seven-year-old Wild Fusion in another of the day’s feature races, the $100,000 TABtouch Westspeed Platinum Series Final (1400m). Wild Fusion ran fifth first up on November 13 and he will carry 59kg with Chris Parnham engaged from barrier five in the final. Wolfe has Classic Rogue entered in the race and Troy Turner retains the ride from gate one.