Our Mana’s 10th win from 15 starts
By
G. K. YULE
“He just never stops amazing me,” commented Colin de Filippi after Our Mana had humbled his rivals in the Latimer Motor Lodge Handicap at Addington Raceway on Saturday evening.
“He keeps on improving all the time and is racing more kindly with every start,” he said of Mrs Jenny Barron’s five-year-old, which is now the veteran of only 15 starts since his debut on December 27 last. These have resulted in 10 wins, a second, two thirds, a fifth and a seventh. His stake-winnings are now $42,250.
“That win has come at the right time. I’ll be able to be a bit easy on him between races and keep him to trials mainly to fit him for the New Zealand Cup,” he added.
“I’m a bit tempted, but don’t really want to start him in the free-for-all next Friday. He’s beginning so well I don’t want to get him stirred up with a mobile start at this stage,” commented de Filippi, who is looking towards lining him up in the Ashburton Flying Stakes on October 1.
Our Mana’s first meeting with Derby was to have taken place on Saturday, but the last-named was withdrawn when Richard Brosnan feared a heavy track. This did not eventuate and Our Mana was able to record 3min 23.8 s for the 2600 m, a spelendid effort on a rain-affected track.
His win was an effortless one. He settled one off the fence about five places from the leaders. He was carried up on the home turn and de Fillippi pulled him out at the straight entrance. He gathered in the leaders with apparent ease and finished
full of running to have a length and a half to spare at the line.
“I gave him a bit of a flick with the whip when I pulled him out and he did the rest on his own,” said his driver.
Amaze, then Mister Wood Chips and finally Brase, from the 1400 m, set a strong pace.
Enterprise, in the open for much of the way, was under pressure near the 600 m, but lasted it out well for second, a long head in front of Kind Nature, which tracked Our Mana.
“He couldn’t go with Our Mana when he sprinted, but he came on steadily near the finish,” commented Gavin Hampton, the driver of Kind Nature.
Camelot came with a dashing run in the straight to dead-heat for fourth with Stortford Lodge, followed by Amaze and Take Aim, both of which had every chance.
Camelot’s run was a minor feature of the race. He broke and lost a big stretch of ground at the start, doing remarkably well to share the $350 attached to fourth.
Borana, from Washdyke, and Lucky Boy, from Invercargill, were successful in the heats of the D.B. Superstar Series, for four-year-olds.
Borana raced in the open for most of the first heat and his class stood to him in a hard finish. He lasted it out best to win by half a length from Timely Play, which came on in great
style over the final stages in what was his first start for the season.
Royal Premier, which set a slack pace, held on for third half a head back, followed by Regal Maina, Braedoon and Eiffel Lad, which were almost in line. Borana’s win took him to a C 9 assessment, and he will probably start favourite for the final of the series next Friday. “If he gets that other win he’d probably start in the Cup, but he’d be all the better for another year on him before he tackles the best,” commented his trainer-driver, George Shand.
Steady Edition set a strength-sapping pace in the second heat, with Lucky Boy about four places back. The Invercargill-trained gelding surged up to the leading group early in the run home and responded gamely to win by a head. Steady Edition gave nothing away in the run home and was far from disgraced. He was almost three lengths in front of the Nelson stallion, Dunhill, with Motu King battling away for fourth. Mighty Me, the favourite, came late on the scene for a close fifth without looking likely to return a dividend. He should be a much-im-proved horse for the final as that was only his second start for the season.
The second favourite, Rameses, was never in contention and finished a so-so sixth.
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