Triple Group 1 winner Manighar will begin his 2013 Spring Racing Carnival campaign in the recently upgraded Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 7.
Manighar is set to return to the races in the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington in just over a fortnights time. Photo by: Steve Hart
Managing co-owner Terry Henderson told Radio Sports National that he is unsure what the main target for the seven-year-old gelding will be during the spring but said he would head to the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on September 21 and the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) on October 12 after resuming in just over a fortnights time.
“He had a jump out last week and Pete (trainer Peter Moody) was delighted with him,” Henderson said on RSN.
“He will take the classic route and then Pete will make a decision on whether it will be the Caulfield Cup or the Cox Plate.
“Hopefully we will get him to the Melbourne Cup.”
Manighar has not been seen at the races since he finished an unlucky second behind Quintessential in the Group 2 Eagle Farm Cup (2200m) during the 2013 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival.
The veteran import started his campaign poorly, beating home just a single horse in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm and the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill, but returned to his best form with a fast finishing fourth behind Pierro in the George Ryder Stakes (1500m) and a gutsy front running effort in the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m).
Henderson blamed a lack of fitness for Manighar’s slow start but he is hopeful that the son of Linamix can race more consistently this spring.
“If you put a line through his first two races, it was a muddling campaign in all but he did show that he was as competitive as ever,” Henderson said.
“He had a good campaign towards the end of it.
“If he comes back the way that Pakal did he should really excel this spring.”
Manighar has performed well without running a place in two attempts at both the Caulfield Cup (2400m) and Melbourne Cup (3200m) and missed the 2012 Cox Plate (2040m) after injuring his knee in the lead-up to the Caulfield Stakes.
