Manndawi (right) galloping with Trip To Paris prior to his third-place finish in the Geelong Cup.
An international campaign throughout the autumn months has become customary in these parts over recent years, and the newest recruit to the foreign team continued our good run in Australia this morning as Manndawi finished a fine third in the Geelong Cup.
Owned by Jon Haseler and OTI Racing, the striking grey was making his first start down under when chasing home Almoonqith and Dandino in the A$300,000 Group 3. And the result might have been more favourable under different circumstances, Manndawi having been shuffled back behind a wall of horses turning for home before being rousted into the frame by jockey Kerrin McEvoy.
This was a fine start to the Australian spring for a horse who clearly has talent in abundance, his best form coming in France as a three-year-old when chasing home Flintshire in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris. He was then owned by the Aga Khan and trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre, but we are delighted the horse has started to repay the faith of his current owners, and he is hardy sort to go to war with over the coming weeks.
Manndawi is likely to have one more run under our care before being transferred to his next trainer, Darren Weir. The Queen Elizabeth Stakes on November 7 or the Sandown Classic on November 14 could be his final port of call for us.
The was the second performance for the team at La Grange to cheer this week following the tremendous run fromTrip To Paris in the Caulfield Cup. All has gone well in Australia thus far, which augurs promisingly for the big one in a little under two weeks’ time.