By Brigette Solomon
Variety was the key at last night’s meeting at Manawatu, with eight different trainers taking out the eight races.
That was in big contrast to just two days earlier when the father-son training-driving combo of Michael and Wilson House had dominated with five wins on the eight-race programme.
The card opened with the Jay Abernethy-trained Eagle Hanover trotting to a comfortable win in the Doug Bradley Painting Handicap Trot. The three-year-old filly showed good manners and driver Sailesh Abernethy, who scored a driving double, capitalized on the draw of one to lead from start to finish before clearing out to win by just over 4 lengths.
Abernethy’s second win came by way of Doug Gale’s Stealer’s Wheel in Race 3, the Helen Grey Memorial Mobile Pace. After enjoying a comfortable trip in the one out one back position Abernethy was three wide from the 600 metre mark and Stealer’s Wheel fought well in the straight to win by a nose at odds of $11.20.
Gale’s win was followed by local trainers, Stephen Doody and Scott Dickson taking out races four and five.
Maleficence won race four dominantly when driver Brent Mangos looped the field to lead with a lap to go to score by nearly 4 lengths and Dickson’s Ticking Over won Race 5, the Café Jacko Mobile Pace over 2500m.
The Changeover gelding ran second at day one of Manawatu and was a comfortable winner yesterday with David Butcher happy to follow the speed with cover throughout before moving three wide with 500 metres to travel and win by nearly two lengths, paying $8.40.
David Butcher drove a winning double when he later took out The Cobb Manawatu Cup on Arna Donnelly-trained Bad Medicine. Butcher allowed the gelding to settle last on the moving line from his wide draw before getting round the field to sit parked the final lap before building momentum to win comfortably by a length. Johnny Mac was second and Artful Living third.
“Our main aim tonight was the Cup,” says Donnelly, “this win ticks Bad Medicine’s earnings to over $100,000 and was well deserved as he’s had his fair share of problems but never stops giving.”
It was the gelding’s seventh win and second cup win in the Central Districts having taken out the Wairarapa Cup in October.
