Former Perth galloper Red Can Man has appreciated getting on to a firmer surface pouncing late to claim the day’s feature race at Caulfield.

Lining up for his second start in Melbourne for Mornington trainer David Brideoake, Red Can Man ran down the $2.50 Neds favourite Malkovich to claim the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.

Red Can Man arrived from Perth with seven wins from 18 starts, while also finishing just behind the placegetters in the Group 1 Railway Stakes and Winterbottom Stakes.

Under Brideoake’s care, Red Can Man won a Traralgon barrier trial before finding soft ground and the straight track at Flemington not to his liking when having his first Victorian start on June 19.

Getting onto a Good 4 track was to the son of Gingerbread Man’s liking and Red Can Man ($9.50) reeled in Malkovich to win by a neck with Villami ($5.50) a further 1-½ lengths away third.

Matt Jenkins, Brideoake’s assistant trainer, said the stable did not know what to take out of the sprinter’s first-up outing.

“He’d obviously had a long time between runs, about seven months,” Jenkins said.

“I believe all of his runs in Perth he hadn’t been exposed to that (soft) surface and if he had, he hadn’t gone any good, so it was pleasing to see it come up a Good 4 today.

“We had the race last Saturday lined up off the back of his first-up run, but we were deterred from it so we waited the extra week and thankfully we did.”

Jenkins said the connections in Perth, which included former trainer Steve Wolfe, had sent the gelding to Melbourne to see if Red Can Man was up to this level.

Jockey Ben Melham said Red Can Man was suited by a solid speed.

“He’s a big, bold on-pace sort of horse and covers a lot of ground in his stride,” Melham said.

“I rode him in work before today and I think he’s in for a really good preparation.”

Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au