Manikato hot favourite

Press, 18 August 1979, Page 19

Manikato hot favourite

NZPA Melbourne Australia’s top sprinter, Manikato, will make his new season debut in the weight-for-age Freeway Stakes (1200 m at Moonee Valley today opposed to an impressive line-up. His trainer, Bob Hoysted, has had the champion in work ever since his win in the Rothman’s Hundred Thousand at Doomben on July 7 so there should be no doubts about his fitness. Manikato had not started for more than two months before his Doomben success but showed both speed and stamina to score narrowly beating some of the best sprinters in training. Today’s field contains horses of a much higher calibre but class alone should carry Manikato through. New Zealand breeders, though, will be well represented by the six-year-old son of John Knox and Maid of Baden, Crepellox. Crepellox has never raced in better form and could scarcely have been more impressive than he was in beating Private Talk and Father’s Day over the Sandown 1200 m last Saturday. His jockey, Bob Skelton had an armchair ride and Crepellox won as he liked by three lengths. The weight-for-age conditions of the Freeway could be the telling factor against Crepellox, which will have to concede Manikato one kilogram whereas under the handicap scale would be in receipt of at least 5 kg.