MONGAN TO RIDE RED Apprentice Ian Mongan has been booked to ride Brilliant Red in the Bet Direct Winter Derby at Lingfield on Saturday, it was announced today. Brilliant Red is a 16-1 chance with the sponsors for the STG£50,000 contest and the eight-year-old`s trainer Lydia Richards said: 'Ian has ridden him before but has never won on him. 'The old horse hasn`t run since the autumn but he`s in good form. I had hoped to take him for a racecourse gallop but because of the foot and mouth restrictions I haven`t been able to do that but even so I`m quite happy with him.' Mrs Richards also revealed plans for Eau De Cologne, who was ruled out of last month`s Racing Post Chase at the 11th hour after picking up an injury on the morning of the race. She said: 'I will be speaking to the owners tomorrow but it looks as though he may go to Newbury a week on Saturday for a race he won last year. After that we`ll look at the three-mile handicap at Aintree and the Cathcart at Cheltenham. 'He won`t run at both Aintree and Cheltenham. Aintree is a fortnight after the Newbury race and we wouldn`t ask him to run again at Cheltenham two weeks later.' Mrs Richards had been disappointed at missing the Racing Post Chase with the nine-year-old, who had been a leading fancy for the Kempton race. 'He trod on a stone and bruised the sole of his foot and was a bit tender when he walked out. We poulticed it and it was all right 48 hours later - it was very frustrating,' she recalled.
