Chairman’s Stakes and Manfred Stakes: Preview and tips

When we think of summer and autumn racing in Australia, we’re often thinking of the younger horses taking centre stage.

This is only natural with the Golden Slipper and Blue Diamond, two of the richest two year old races in the world, at the forefront in Sydney and Melbourne respectively during this time.

Weight-for-age events are often dominated by the maturing three year olds over this period, taking full toll of their weight advantage. The 2012-13 racing season was a clear example of this, and off the back of Shamus Award winning this seasons Cox Plate, we could be in for more of the same.

Heck, as Justin alluded to earlier this week, we may even see a two year old, Boomwa, take out the Lightning Stakes on his way to the Blue Diamond. I can’t recall a two year old lining up in such an event in my fifteen or so years following the sport, so what a thrill it would be to see.

As January becomes February, and we get ever closer to Group 1 racing returning, it is the two and three year old races which hold feature status this week, with the Chairman’s Stakes and Manfred Stakes held at Caulfield.

The visiting Nayeli, from the Gai Waterhouse stable, is the favourite in the two-year-old Chairman’s Stakes, and maintains a place on the fourth line of betting in the Diamond itself.

An impressive debut winner at her only start, her form is franked by the horse she defeated that day, Peggy Jean, which had accounted for the afore-mentioned Boomwa on her debut.

Anything from the Hawkes yard must be respected, and while Bugatty doesn’t have the wraps of debut winning stablemate Nostradamus, he looks an honest type in his early days, and will be hard to beat from a good draw, even carrying a penalty.

Illustrious Lad is one from one after a successful hit and run mission to Adelaide for Peter Gelagotis, but may need to have found a couple of lengths in his six weeks between runs to be troubling the winner.

Jarklin keeps running into good horses and can fill a hole, while Zululand barely did a thing right in his debut second back in November, and might be capable of springing a surprise.

Of the unraced brigade, Mick Price’s Eqdaam creates the most interest. Racetrack whispers have him as a very promising colt, and Damian Oliver could ride a rockinghorse to victory at the moment. He’s being kept very safe as the second-elect, and any serious money for him in the early markets should be followed.

Selections
1.Eqdaam 2.Nayeli 3.Bugatty 4.Zululand

The Manfred Stakes has attracted a small but somewhat select field, with half the runners showing potential Group 1 ability. The race will be a kicking off point for the three year olds seeking higher honours, either on a Melbourne and Sydney Guineas campaign, or plotting a course through sprinting events.

Fast ‘N’ Rocking will be taking the latter course of action, attempting to follow in the footsteps of his sire by taking on the older horses in Group 1 sprints, the Oakleigh Plate and Newmarket on his radar.

He disappointed in the second half of his spring campaign once he was sent over anything longer than six furlongs, but he’s a good-looking, talented colt that has hopefully matured into something exciting.

Prince Harada entered the spring with a boom attached but couldn’t live up to the hype, unable to claim a victory during his three run campaign. He never saw daylight in the Golden Rose and should have been fighting out the finish, while he didn’t have any luck in the Caulfield Guineas.

Some horses attract bad luck like the plague, and avoiding traffic is a skill some horses innately possess. Prince Harada needs to get clear running and register a black type win to prove his admirers right.

Bull Point produced one of the most talked about and eye-catching runs of the entire spring with his third in the Golden Rose to Zoustar. He stood the field half a lap at one point in the race before storming home, albeit off a hot speed.

He hasn’t been seen since, but is targeting the Australian Guineas, and will have a certain D. Oliver as a pilot throughout his campaign. Many eyes will be studying his return.

The Quarterback gained fans off the back of two country victories last October, showing an impressive turn of foot against some decent horses. Connections could have pressed on for a race like the Sandown Guineas, but elected to take the patient route in the hope of greater returns this time around.

Monkstone is another who caught the eye last winter, in weaker grade, as one to follow.

Both are running into some testing material here, and we’ll have a good gauge of exactly what their level might be after the race.