Peter Moody will finalise Manighar’s Autumn Carnival program after the grey import contests Saturday’s Group 1 $350,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm.
Manighar holds off Southern Speed to win last year's Australian Cup. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
OTI syndicate head Terry Henderson will leave the decision up to Moody after Saturday to see how Manighar pulls up following his first run back knee surgery.
“Pete is only 50-50 about getting to the BMW,” Henderson said.
“If he comes through the first run well he will go to the Ranvet then he will assess whether he is ready for the BMW.
“If not we will hold him back for the Queen Elizabeth.”
After being last year’s Autumn Carnival top weight for age performer, Manighar was forced to miss the Spring because of knee trouble and wasn’t forward enough to defend his Australian Cup crown this Saturday at Flemington.
Following the Group 1 $1m Darley Australian Cup (2000m) win last year, Manighar continued his winning form in the Group 1 $400,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) and the Group 1 $2.25m The BMW (2400m) both at Rosehill before going down to Sydney’s super mare More Joyous in the Group 1 $500,000 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick.
Premier Sydney trainer Chris Waller’s horses make up almost half of the Chipping Norton nominations with eight of the seventeen entries, and include the last two winners of the weight for age race, Shoot Out (2012) and Danleigh (2011).
While Gai Waterhouse has entered her Group 1 winning import Glencadam Gold and last year’s Rosehill Guineas winner Laser Hawk.
Glencadam Gold, who won the Group 1 $400,000 McGrath Estate Agents Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on October 6, and Laser Hawk both failed to handle the heavy track when well beaten first up in the Group 2 $250,000 Schweppes Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Warwick Farm on February 23.
Tommy Berry on Glencadam Gold and Nash Rawiller on Laser Hawk both reported to stewards following the Apollo that neither of their mounts responded to their riding on the very heavy track.
