News

Manawanui wins a Golden Rose to remember

12th Sep 2011

Racenet - Clinton Payne - Saturday, 10 September 2011

Less than 24 hours before the Tooheys New Golden Rose (1400m), self-confessed "battling trainer” Ron Leemon knocked back $1 million for Manawanui, who took home the first Group I race of the season at Rosehill on Saturday.

"Even yesterday they rang up and made another offer, $1 million,” an emotional Leemon said after fulfilling a lifelong dream.

"I’m chasing my dream with my wife Gaye and the owners.

"Everyone has been saying, ‘go for it, it’s your dream, it’s our dream’.”

Manawanui repaid the connections’ faith when scoring Leemon’s first win in a Group I at the age of 64 in his 33rd year of training racehorses.

"Amazing, it’s tremendous, a dream come true,” he said. "I’m so pleased for everybody that’s been involved with the stable.

"We’ve battled but we’ve got there.”

Even with only six runners, the race was an action-packed affair with the dual Group I winner Helmet missing the start before pushing up and trapping the favourite Smart Missile three-wide.

Local galloper Aeronautical took up the initiative early and went to the front before Manawanui’s jockey Glyn Schofield seized the opportunity and allowed his mount to roll forward to take over the running.

While Manawanui was up front doing his own thing at the 600m, Kiwi apprentice James McDonal allowed his mount Foxwedge to wander and tightened Helmet and Smart Missle, causing both gallopers to lose ground.

From the top of the straight, Schofield gave Manawanui his head and the gelding strode away while Smart Missile and Helmet were taken to the outside to mount their claims.

Manawanui was full of running inside the 200 metres while Smart Missile was starting to charge while Helmet struggled. Despite getting close, Smart Missile was unable to overhaul Manawanui with Foxwedge hitting the line in third.

"Everything went wrong at the start and when he went to the front I said, ‘oh no’ but it’s full credit to Glyn, he rode a tremendous race,” Leemon said.

‘‘I was always going to ride him positively and I thought if I was in the position was Foxwedge was in the other day that my horse would have won that race,’’ Schofield said.

‘‘My bloke kicked like so expected him [when Smart Missile came at him], so really the race was over when I found the front.’’

Immediately after the race Helmet’s jockey Kerrin McEvoy lodged an objection against the third placegetter Foxwedge for the interference near the 600 metres and stewards ruled in favour of McEvoy upholding his protest and reversing the placings.

Smart Missile’s rider Glen Boss was less than impressed with McDonald’s handling of Foxwedge, claiming the New Zealander handling of his mount ended Smart Missile’s unbeaten record.

"A few things didn’t go our way,” Boss said.

"Obviously at the start, Foxwedge come out about six horses and put everything skew if then at the 500 [metres] James McDonald in his wisdom when three wide tried to get one off the fence with two inside him.

"He just smashed me up the fence. That’s cost me the race.”

Leemon, a loyal servant to Sydney racing said despite Manawanui’s "grand final” being still to come in Melbourne, the horse would remain in Sydney.

"We’ve still got out grand final to go,” he said.

"We’ll come back here in a fortnight for the Stan Fox then go to Melbourne for the Caulfield Guineas.

"I think we’ve got to support Sydney racing at the moment.

"They wanted me to go down to Melbourne but I won’t, I’ll be staying here.”

The win was Manawanui fourth from five starts with his career earnings now totalling $766,980.

What they said:-

"You would never meet a nicer fellow than Ronnie and to win for him is a big thrill. Sometimes we lose perspective at what a Group I win means because we have so many. When you get one like that it is great,” said Glyn Schofield, jockey of the winner, Manawanui.

"Considering the adversity he was asked to overcome in the race it was a Group I performance,” said Glen Boss, jockey of the second placegetter Smart Missile.

"He was just bumped around and he lost a lot of momentum around the 600 metres,” said Kerrin McEvoy, jockey of the third placegetter, Helmet.

"Very good effort. He had a good trip into the race but the ones that stay 1400 metres finished it off a bit better,” said James McDonald, jockey of Foxwedge (4th).

"He ran as good as he could. They were too nippy for him but he battled on good,” said Chris Munce, jockey of Flight Of Pegasus (5th).

"He's a much better horse ridden with a sit but with only six horses in the race it was hard to do that,” said Nathan Berry, jockey of Aeronautical (last).