Brunton eyes huge mission for Mandela
PREMIER trainer Scott Brunton is gearing up for his first assault on the W.S. Cox Plate.
His talented gelding Mandela Effect is being aimed at the world’s most prestigious weight-for-age middle-distance event, to be run at Moonee Valley in October.
Despite Victoria’s stagefour COVID-19 lockdown, the state remains on target to stage its feature races during the spring carnival, albeit without spectators.
Mandela Effect has not started since winning the weight-for-age Mowbray Stakes (1600m) in Launceston in late February, a race that secured the son of Turffontein the triple crown of the state’s weight-age-races during the summer carnival.
Brunton has always believed Mandela Effect would measure up over 2000m and beyond.
“Mandela Effect has always shown me something special and it takes a special animal to win a Cox Plate, but you can’t win that race at home in the sable,” Brunton said.
“We don’t know if he will be up to such a task, but I’ve mapped out a plan of attack that should give us that answer.
“Mandela will kick of his campaign in the Chandler McLeod over 1200m on September 5 and then go to the Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) two weeks later, and end up in the Toorak Handicap (1600m). That’s the race I’d like him to win to get into the Cox Pate.”
Mandela Effect has won 12 of his 23 starts for almost $550,000 in stakes but he would probably have to win the Toorak to earn a berth in the Cox Plate.
Brunton will send The Inevitable to Melbourne to line up in the Bobby Lewis at Flemington on September 12 but there are no plans beyond that race for the five-year-old.
His warhorse Hellova Street will also make the trip to Melbourne, where the Chatham Stakes will be his main mission on November 7.
With the trainer unable to travel to Victoria because of the COVID-19 stage-four lockdown in that state, his team will be cared for by his father, David Brunton, for the duration of the Victorian campaign.
MANDELA EFFECT HAS ALWAYS SHOWN ME SOMETHING SPECIAL.
SCOTT BRUNTON