Premiership leader Damien Oliver will be back aboard last start winner Tried And Tired in the Listed $120,000 Chester Manifold Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Damien Oliver will be back aboard Tried And Tired in the Chester Manifold Stakes at Flemington. Photo by Adrienne Bicknell.
The Leon and Troy Corstens trained Tried And Tired was partnered by boom Western Australian apprentice Chris Parnham when the five year old took out the Listed $120,000 Jackie Loughlin Christmas Stakes (1200m) at Sandown on December 26.
But with Parnham on the sidelines because of suspension, Oliver has been recalled to ride Tried And Tired after the pair combined for a fifth placing the previous start in a 1400m Handicap at Flemington on December 13.
“The only reason Damien didn’t ride him last start was because he was suspended,” Tried and Tired’s co-trainer Troy Corstens told AAP.
“Nothing against Chris, it would have been nice to stick with Chris, but Damien had done nothing wrong so he gets back on.”
Even though Tried And Tired was beaten over the 1400m two starts back, it has proven to be his pet distance in the past with three wins and a second recorded over that trip on his form sheet.
And Troy Corstens is also keen to get the Niello gelding back to his favourite journey at Flemington after pulling up well following his win at Sandown.
“He has done exceptionally and we’re looking forward to seeing him back out over the 1400 on Saturday,” Corstens said.
“If it’s a similar field to what he’s been racing against he’s going to be terribly hard to beat.”
Corstens is expecting another bold showing from Tried And Tired and another strong performance will see him searching the Autumn Carnival brochure for a suitable feature race.
“Obviously you can’t get carried away because we’re in the summer period, but if he can carry this form into the autumn then we’re going to need to reassess where he’s at,” Corstens said.
The Chester Manifold Stakes has attracted seventeen nominations and Tried And Tired will be up against Christmas Stakes placegetters Lord Of The Sky and Go The Knuckle as well as last start Rosehill winner Red Excitement.
The Gerald Ryan trained Red Excitement resumed from a lengthy spell to score a first up win over 1400m at Rosehill on December 20.
The five year old created a huge impression over the Summer months earlier in the year after scoring a hat trick of wins but was forced to the sidelines after sustaining a tendon injury following his win over 1600m at Randwick on February 8.
