Manning pair big Ruakaka hopes
Stu Manning is heading up the coast with two strong chances tomorrow.
From his base at Tauranga, where he works his horses on the Matapihi tidal flats, he will make the five-hour journey to the picturesque Ruakaka track, also nestled on the east coast.
The coastal harvest won’t be pipi and tuatua for Manning, more likely a couple of good dollops of stake money.
He will have Katy O’Beel and El Pescado on his truck and both will strip as favourites in their respective races due to their solid recent form and obvious class. Another plus is the fact recent performances include Ruakaka form, always important when assessing chances on the northern course.
Richly-bred Katy O’Beel is by the mighty Zabeel from Manning’s 10-race Group winning mare Katy Keen and he races her with his partner, Kaye Durrant, along with Lady Justine and Sir Patrick Hogan.
They bred Katy O’Beel on a foal share agreement – Hogans providing the sire, Manning and Durrant the mare – with a view to selling the progeny at the Karaka Yearling Sale.
A big, weak yearling she never made the sales but is starting to reward connections on the track as she matures
Now five, she is on the way to establishing herself as a top stayer. Last start she accounted for a similar Rating 65 field over Saturday’s distance of 2100 metres at Ruakaka and all indications are she can do it again.
‘‘She’s still on the way up this horse,’’ Manning said.
‘‘She’s thriving and is full of herself.
‘‘I just ticked her along through the winter waiting for the spring and now she’s looking an absolute picture and is ready to go.
‘‘I’ll just keep an eye on her, week to week type of thing and see how she progresses but I don’t want to start talking Auckland Cups and that sort of thing but 3200 metres will be what she will suit her later on.’’
Katy Keen is due to foal to Cambridge Stud sire Power shortly and will be the fourth bred by the partnership joining Katy O’Beel, her 3-year-old full-brother Battle Zone and a Cape Blanco filly, now two.
Battle Zone, a $160,000 Karaka yearling, is in Mike Moroney’s Melbourne stable and although unplaced in two starts, is well regarded holding nominations for upcoming Group I races, the Caulfield Guineas and Spring Champion Stakes.
The big walking Cape Blanco 2-year-old filly was bought for $41,000 by the ever astute Kevin Myers at the last Karaka sale.
El Pescado, owned by Frank and Faye Drummond, will be all the rage in the last on the Ruakaka card and she get his just rewards.
Since transferring to Manning’s care at the beginning of his current campaign his racing has been devoid of luck.
He has won two from eight starts and is reunited with Matthew Cameron on Saturday which just might be the edge he requires.
Cameron was aboard in both his wins but has been unavailable for a variety of reasons this campaign.
Allez Eagle warmed up for his imminent return to racing when he comfortably accounted for his stablemate Shelford in an open 950 metre trial at Cambridge on Thursday. Trainer Tony Pike said Allez Eagle has come back well since having to abort his Brisbane campaign early after suffering a bad foot abscess back in May. Pike said Allez Eagle’s spell had done him the world of good and he could return on September 19 in an open 1200 at Hastings depending on track conditions. Allez Eagle holds a nomination for the Coupland’s Bakeries Mile but a decision on pressing forward to Christchurch will be made closer to the time. Shelford is a confirmed starter in the open sprint on the second day of the Hawke’s Bay carnival.
TAB bookmakers have opened Benzini as an $8 favourite for the New Zealand Cup. Benzini, trained by Adrian and Harry Bull at Hunterville, is one of three Bull runners nominated for the cup with last year’s winner Mungo Jerry at $18 and Nashville at $16. It’s a rather elite team that Cambridge trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman are taking to the races on Saturday.
The training duo have just two runners – New Zealand horse of the year Mongolian Khan in the Group I Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington and fellow Group I winner Dal Cielo in the Listed Tavistock Northland Breeders Stakes (1200m) at Ruakaka.
Both gallopers are resuming and will benefit from the outings, according to Baker, but both have the class to make their presence felt.
‘‘I’m very happy with Mongolian Khan,’’ Baker said from Melbourne.
‘‘It’s a tough race for him firstup. It will be a firm track, probably a good three, and they will run along a bit but he’ll be hitting the line.
‘‘I hadn’t seen him for a week before I arrived back over here and he looks great. He’s lost a bit more of his winter coat and I’m pretty happy with where he’s at. He’s ready to run a nice mile but it’s still probably going to be a bit short for him.’’
A winner of seven of his nine starts, Mongolian Khan hasn’t raced since his win in the Group I Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick in April when he became the first horse since Hall of Fame galloper Bonecrusher to win the New Zealand and Australian Derbies in the same year in 1986.
Mongolian Khan has trialled twice ahead of his resuming run and will be partnerd by regular rider Opie Bosson on Saturday.
Baker has complemented Mongolian Khan’s trackwork gallops with swimming and was pleased with the entire’s main hitout alongside the Nigel Blackiston-trained Let’s Make Adeal on Tuesday morning.
Safely through the Makybe Diva, Mongolian Khan will continue his Cups buildup in the Group I Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on September 26.
Baker was satisfied with the 55kg allocated to the Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Industry- owned 4-year-old stallion for the A$3 million Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 17, for which he has been made favourite.
‘‘I thought that would be his weight – 54.5 to 55 kilos. He’s a dual Derby winner and I’m happy with that. There wasn’t a real star international entry to push his weight down,’’ Baker said.
Closer to home, Diamond Stakes winner Dal Cielo resumes in the Northland Breeders Stakes for jockey Sam Spratt.
‘‘We’ve got to make a start with him. He’s drawn eight of nine but I’m hoping some of those horses drawn inside him won’t muster as much speed as him early,’’ Baker said.
Dal Cielo has also twice trialled in preparation for his spring campaign.
‘‘We were a bit disappointed with his trial at Taupo but there were a few factors against him and he’s improved in his work at home. If he gets the right run, he’s right up to the class.’’