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2014 Manikato Stakes: Runner by runner preview

Lankan Rupee earned his gallop as starting outside centre for the Wallabies. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
Roar Guru
21st October, 2014
16

It’s rare that you get a premier Group l race named in your honour, but that was just how good Manikato was back in the late 1970s and early 80s, winning this race twice when at his brilliant best.

It is one of the biggest and best Group l races for the Melbourne Spring Carnival, carrying $1 million prizemoney, and it highlights the first of two meetings set down for the Cox Plate Carnival.

Buffering – seven-year-old gelding
Trainer: Rob Heathcoate
Jockey: Damian Browne
Weight: 58.5kg
Barrier: 4

The Queensland Bulldog who doesn’t know how to quit. He showed he’s back to his best with another superb win in the Moir Stakes (1200m), fending off the challenges of Lankan Rupee and Rebel Dane to win narrowly. He has since gone back to the Flemington jumpouts and did what he had to there.

A favourite of mine, I’d love to see him win, it’s a question of whether he can fend off serious 1200m pressure. He will no doubt be in the finish, and is a leading contender.

Lankan Rupee – five-year-old gelding
Trainer: Mick Price
Jockey: Craig Newitt
Weight: 58.5kg
Barrier: 9

Australian horse of the year who hasn’t been at his best in two runs this time in, with a couple of factors adding to his demise this Spring, mainly the jockey, Craig Newitt. Froggy has got it wrong on both occasions. First-up in the McEwen (1000m) he went too hard outside Eloping, then in the Moir Stakes (1200m) he pretty much gifted the race to Damian Browne and Buffering.

Does the horse handle the track at the highest level? That is yet to be determined. He has sizzled in work back home, but I am keen to take him on here.

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Temple Of Boom – eight-year-old gelding
Trainer: Tony Gollan
Jockey: Tegan Harrison
Weight: 58.5kg
Barrier: 8

Grand campaigner for Tony Gollan who was very good first-up in the Bobbie Lewis, then a touch ordinary in the Gilgai, both behind Chautauqua. I doubt he can turn the tables on that horse, and the track won’t suit him.

He’ll bust his gut trying, but it’s good enough to beat these.

Moment Of Change – six-year-old gelding
Trainer: Peter Moody
Jockey: Chad Schofield
Weight: 58.5kg
Barrier: 10

Multiple Group l winner who hasn’t been seen since injuring himself in the Memsie Stakes (1400m) behind stablemate Dissident. His run prior to that in the Regal Roller (1200m) when carrying 62kg was very good, but the class of horse was nowhere near as good as what he faces here, and I think his elite Group l days are behind him.

Perhaps a trip over to Perth for the Winterbottom (1200m) could be on the cards again?

Rebel Dane – five-year-old horse
Trainer: Gary Portelli
Jockey: Craig Williams
Weight: 58.5kg
Barrier: 3

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Talented entire who has really struggled to put it all together since winning the Sir Rupert Clarke (1400m) 13 months back. In saying that, he was very good late in the Moir behind Buffering, cutting back to the rail and savaging the line late to narrowly miss out. Fast run 1200m is right up his alley and runs well second up.

Is he going well enough to win? I would have said no before the Moir, but he is a definite chance now.

Famous Seamus – six-year-old gelding
Trainer: Noel Mayfield-Smith
Jockey: Tim Clark
Weight: 58.5kg
Barrier: 5

He has come back as good as ever, and that was evident with his fast-finishing third against the bias to Terravista in the Shorts, then sat three wide with no cover and got the job done in the Premiere Stakes (1200m). Went

to the trials last week on his home track at Hawkesbury and won that impressively, running sub 34 under no pressure, so he is flying for this, and is the knockout runner.

Terravista – five-year-old gelding
Trainer: Joe Pride
Jockey: Hugh Bowman
Weight: 58.5kg
Barrier: 7

This is the real up-and-coming star from Sydney who many in NSW believe is the best sprinter in Australia at the moment. His win in the Shorts (1100m) was explosive and he won with ridiculous ease. Take away Famous Seamus, and the form from that race has not held up at all, so that’s a query, but his trial the other day behind Sidestep was very sharp and he looks ready to rumble here.

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Do I want to take $3? No, because this is his first test away from NSW and he takes on one of the best fields we have seen in a sprint race for a number of years with the exception of Black Caviar and Hay List at his best.

Iconic – four-year-old gelding
Trainer: Tony McEvoy
Jockey: Nick Hall
Weight: 58.5kg
Barrier: 2

Talented sprinter who scored a strong win here first up in the Carlyon Stakes (1000m), then was quite disappointing back home at Morphettville in a Listed race before coming back to Caulfield and charging home for fourth in the Schillaci Stakes (1100m) to Rubick.

He will get a soft trip from the gate, but he is not a Group l horse.

Not Listenin’tome – four-year-old gelding
Trainer: Gary Moore
Jockey: Tommy Berry
Weight: 58.5kg
Barrier: 1

Class horse when right, but his first-up run in the Schillaci was disappointing when second last to Rubick. John Moore paid the late entry fee to run here and the horse worked on the track on Tuesday morning. He was quite ordinary at the end of the work because he didn’t go past his workmate despite being under pressure. Happy to let him go here.

Platelet – six-year-old mare
Trainer: Darren Weir
Jockey: Ben Melham
Weight: 56.5kg
Barrier: 12

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An absolute bonny mare for Darren Weir, who wouldn’t know how to run a bad race. She had the charmed run off the speed in the Schilacci (1000m) and got to the line strongly late when clear behind Rubick to run second.

She loves the 1200m and races well at the track. She really hasn’t raced against the best of the best, so it’ll be interesting to see how she performs.

Bounding – four-year-old mare
Trainer: Ken Kelso
Jockey: Mark Du Plessis
Weight: 56.5kg
Barrier: 11

Star Kiwi mare who came off a setback when resuming in the Gilgai and was excellent there when second to Chautauqua. She hasn’t finished further back than second in 12 career outings and is a multiple Group l winner back home against open company, but not the depth that she faces here.

Still, she is a high-class mare who knows where the post is and loves a fight, so don’t entirely rule her out.

Angelic Light – five-year-old mare
Trainer: Robbie Griffiths
Jockey: Damien Oliver
Weight: 56.5kg
Barrier: 6

Caused one of the upsets of the calendar year when nailing Lankan Rupee first-up in the McEwen, then went to the Moir and finished fourth of five, but was beaten only a length in a real blanket finish.

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Can she improve a length and beat the likes of Terravista and Chautauqua? I think not, but she is a mare in form, and if she gets a sweet trip off the speed, she can bob up somewhere and perhaps nail a first four spot.

Tips
Hard to say this when it’s a major with many top-class runners, but Buffering is a special in this after the barrier draw. You look around what is drawn near him and there is no speed at all, so Damian Browne can kick him out of the gates and get to the rail quite cheaply, then look for the likes of Terravista, Lankan Rupee and Temple Of Boom to come over and apply the pressure. But he is such a bulldog that he can overcome them, kick on the turn and win.

Famous Seamus comes right into the mix with the good gate. He was fantastic last time out and went just as good in the trials. He worked at the Valley on Tuesday and went around there like the great Manikato. He handled it with ease and was very sharp, so I am tipping him to run a bottler.

Can’t leave out Terravista. He will get every chance from the good draw with the possible drop on Buffering, Lankan Rupee and/or Temple Of Boom and look to pounce late.

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