Panama Red fancied to prove champ Keane right in intriguing Listed race

Wednesday: 6.40 Killarney
Irish Stallion Farms EBF Cairn Rouge Stakes (Listed) | 1m40y | 3yo+ | RTV

Ger Lyons sent out a three-year-old to win this Listed prize in 2019 and he will be hoping to do likewise with Panama Red who is making her first appearance since finishing tenth to Homeless Songs in the Irish 1,000 Guineas back in May.

Indeed, Panama Red has bumped into Homeless Songs on two of her three starts this season so she will be glad to see the back of Ireland's highest-rated three-year-old.

In between those tussles with Homeless Songs, Panama Red was cursed with luck in the Group 3 Cornelscourt Stakes at Leopardstown. She met quite a few red lights up the home straight there and with a smoother passage would have gone very close to winning.

Colin Keane has chosen her over the much more experienced six-year-old Sh Boom and you can understand why. She is the best filly in the race according to official ratings, with her mark of 102 2lb superior to her stablemate whom she receives a 6lb weight for age allowance from.

Perhaps Panama Red's biggest danger is Cigamia, who is rated 100 and arrives here at the top of her game. She is already a course-and-distance winner and produced a fine effort to take fourth in the Sandringham at Royal Ascot.

Indeed Cigamia was in front of Panama Red when the pair met in the 1,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown back in April — two and three-quarter lengths, to be precise.

Viareggio was sent to France last time where the Jessica Harrington-trained three-year-old tried to make all in a Listed race at Longchamp but had to settle for third. The runner-up that day was Tariyana, who disappointed in the Prix de Diane when eighth to Nashwa.

Voice Of Angels is another to consider in first-time cheekpieces, but it may boil down to a battle between Panama Red and Cigamia.

Favourites have won two of the last three runnings and, until the classy Mehnah defied a terrible draw out in stall 16 last year, the previous winners since 2014 had come out of 5-2-6-2-3-6-4. The draw could be crucial here.

What they say

Joseph O'Brien, trainer of Neptune Rock and Voice Of Angels
Both fillies are in good form going into the race. Neptune Rock ran well in it last year when not beaten far by Mehnah. Things didn't set up right for Voice Of Angels in France last time but we're hoping she can bounce back from that. Both of them are on the lookout for black type.

Colin Keane, rider of Panama Red
It was a tricky enough decision as Sh Boom is a very consistent filly who has been running well this season, but Panama Red is dropping in class and has a lovely draw in stall four as well so I thought she was the best of ours. She obviously found it tough in a Classic last time, but she was unlucky in a Group 3 the time before and I think she's a smart filly.

Joe Murphy, trainer of Silken Ladder
We were a bit disappointed with how she ran at Naas last time but she came out of the race very well so we said we'd let her take her chance. She's a 89-rated filly who has won around Killarney before so we said why not have a go at something like this.

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