Winnings expected to top $300,000

Press, 11 September 1986, Page 30

Winnings expected to top $300,000

By

G.K. YULE

Our Mana is expected to advance his stake-win-nings to beyond the $300,000 mark with a victory in the Latimer Motor Lodge Free-for-all, one of the feature races and the second leg of the T.A.B. double on the final night of the New Brighton Trotting Club’s spring meeting at Addington Raceway tomorrow. Our Mana has been one of the more consistent pacers raced in Canterbury in recent years and he has had 74 starts for his Loburn owner, Mrs Jenny Barron, for 19 wins, 15 seconds and 10 thirds worth $298,800. The Colin de Filippitrained eight-year-old has had seconds in his two starts this spring, the most recent being last Saturday when he bowed to Skipper

Dale over 2000 m, that placing coming after he was forced three wide with 1200 m left and sat in the open for almost the rest of the race. Our Mana first contested this event back in 1983 when, as the odds-on favourite, he beat Enterprise and Kind Nature. A sixth and a seventh have been all that he could manage in his two other attempts. Tomorrow he will start from No. 1 at the barrier and he should be able to maintain a prominent position throughout, a factor which is expected to give him a grand chance of winning. Malaz and Freightman, which share the national 2600 m mobile start record of 3min 14.65, created when they dead-heated at Addington last January, should offer strong opposition to Our Mana.

Malaz was successful on August 25 at his lone start for the season. He comes in at No. 6, which should enable him to secure a good position in the early scurry. He is a top pacer in great form at present Freightman is at the improving stage. There was much to admire about his third behind Skipper Dale last Saturday. The extra distance in this race will suit the hardy son of Lordship. Then there are two past New Zealand Cup winners in Camelot and Borana, both certain to have benefited from recent racing. Loveridge, Premiership and Smarty Pants have the ability to race prominently in what should be an extremely interesting race, one which could ultimately prove to be a guide to prospects in November’s big Cup.