Manana Picked To Win Great Easter

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31030, 9 April 1966, Page 6

Manana Picked To Win Great Easter

Manana could have hardly been more impressive in winning at Rangiora last week, and it was probably a winning race trial for the £2OOO Great Easter Handicap at Riccarton on Monday.

Manana has a strong record from six furlongs to beyond a mile, on soft and firm tracks alike.

Only for unsoundness which threatened not long after he won the C.J.C Stewards’ Handicap in 1964, Manana would have become a big winner by now.

As it is, his record, and especially his record at Riccarton, has obvious appeal for a race like the Great Easter, in which he has 7-12, and is 161 b below the top weight, Bellarook. Bellarook is hardly as good at seven furlongs as at six, and the same could, perhaps, be said for Warfare. Tougher rivals for Manana at this distance could be Shakes, the Great Easter winner two years ago, and Careen, the 1965 Winter Cup winner. In Form Shakes started his present campaign successfully at Ashburton last week, then ran third behind Manana and So Lovely at Rangiora. Careen also appeared at Rangiora after a summer spell and came from the back —she was a slo\ beginner—for fourth. Wingatui stables will put a strong trio of form horses into the field. Captain’s Command won the Railway Handicap over six furlongs then ran fifth ovrr seven furlongs at the Wellington autumn meeting. Middy and Lisa have been recent winners in their home province. Middy overcame difficulties in the running for a brilliant win over seven furlongs at the

Oamaru autumn meeting. This was his third win in four starts; earlier in the autumn he had won at Gore and Wingatui. Lisa beat some handy sprinters over six furlongs at Waikouaiti on March 12, and was a strongly-finishing third at Beaumont last week.

Shipmate and Pharasal, stablemates of Manana, and both running for Mr A. N.

Smith, of Dunedin, will have a solid following. Pharasal is a more solid performer than Shipmate, and if N. Eastwood has average luck with him in the running this small Pharamond gelding might successfully bridge the gap to open company. Pharasal has won his last four races, and as he strengthens with age on him he should do well in the strongest class and beyond sprint distances.