European import Manighar continued his refound winning form under the guidance of leading Melbourne trainer Peter Moody in taking out the Group 1 $2.25m The BMW (2400m) at Rosehill today.
Manighar wins the Group 1 The BMW at Rosehill Gardens - photo (c) Steve Hart
Moody has transformed the dour stayer into the country’s top weigh for age horse with his third Group 1 in succession, adding today’s win to the $1m Dubai Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 10 and $400,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on March 24.
And Sydney racegoers might not have seen the last of Manighar with Moody hinting that the Group 1 $500,000 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on April 28 could be on the cards as well a trip to Brisbane during the winter.
But Moody also has the big Spring races in mind, including the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups and the Cox Plate even though he thinks that Manighar might be weighted out of the major handicaps in the spring but will stick to weight for age races for the time being.
“He’s just a lovely horse to train,” Moody said after the win.
“No doubt he always had the ability but needed the will to be installed back into him and he’s just really enjoying it.”
“He’s just been a part of the routine of the stable and a little bit of maintenance work on him and just tried to build his confidence at home and he’s taken that to the races.”
Nolen rode a very positive race on the six year old and while he had travelling second behind the leader Fiumicino, Gerald Mosse had the favourite Americain ($2.40) three wide and near the tail of the field.
Nolen let Manighar ($4) stride to the front at the top of the straight and never looked like being run down, even though Americain did make up some ground in the straight.
“He was little keen in the first half of the race and I wasn’t sure if he was going to show the same turn of foot that he’s shown us in previous runs when he has settled. But to his credit he sprinted nicely for a horse that didn’t settle for the first half of the race,” Nolen said.
