The Manila
1 Mile Turf Stake Purse $100.00 Open 3 Year Olds.
1st Consus, trained by Sarah Stables
After two great efforts in Stakes Company this performance was on the cards but as he was hung out the back it didn’t look like it was going to happen for a long time. It was always the question whether the trainer could get him out of the wide speed vortex and then keep him close enough from being taken too far back into the black hole. He just did that coming with a storming late run to get up close home and win by a quarter length. With so much emphasis being on post position these days it was good to see a tactic coming off and probably the best horse in the field winning.
2nd Bold Eagle, trained by La Canada Racehorses
The race engine makes stalkers pretty vulnerable from closers and after holding a great position throughout he was indeed collared by a closer in the end. This was a decent run though and proves he is up to this grade ad has a bright future.
3rd Chapter In The Fog, trained by Hippyheart
Whilst the winner overcame the wide speed push this one who has liked to make the running in the past embraced it. Leading until inside the final furlong he made a great effort at overcoming a tough race engine bias at the moment ending up third but only beaten a half-length.
4th Wackomato, trained by Manco Segundo
Another wide runner he tried to get the front but never succeeded settling instead for a stalk position. He kept on gamely and was beaten less than a length so this was a decent effort from this sort of draw. An inside gate next time and he may be worth a dollar at the betting window.
5th Creative Santa
Kept on and was only beaten a length but he does seem to lack an effective turn of foot against this class.
6th Lucky Spaniard
Flew home from the trail to be sixth beaten a length. This was a good run but HRP form and real life form do not compare so it is hard to work out where this puts him for the future.
7th Intentions Unknown
Tracked the leader but faded when put under pressure
8th Sports Book
No real show
9th Job Search
Deserved to be a massive outsider but in true HRP style was only beaten three lengths. That either means that cheap claimers and stakes horses are only three lengths apart or this one is better than that. I will leave the reader to decide.
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded
