Even Manukau Sunday 527m feature Field
It’s an even looking field who will contest the $5,000 Clover Park Cup 527m feature, which is the fourth leg of the $15,000 guaranteed TAB Pick 6, at the Manukau Stadium on Sunday afternoon (race 12).
Pictured: Cameo Syd following his open class 527m Manukau win last Sunday
The Ben Craik=prepared Cameo Syd has been a consistent Manukau 527m open class chaser for a long time. He confirmed that when he delivered his freewheeling 30.59s win last Sunday. This bloke generally races out in the middle of track, however his Sunday win came when he was sighted wearing the red vest. He will do likewise in this event where he must contest the pace when going into the first turn.
His kennelmate Heart Shaped Box was sighted finishing solidly from out of the midfield pack to claim his second placings 3.25 lengths astern of Cameo Syd last Sunday. He is likely be seen doing his best work at the business end here after he hops away from trap six.
The Craik kennels also provides the only race reserve. Ti Amo currently holds a C4 grading. She did display early pace when contesting the pace in last Sunday’s event won by Cameo Syd. Racing wide down the back straight saw her finishing just in behind the place getters.
The bold recent Group 1 Accell Therapy Wanganui Cup runner up Our Rick is returning to the Manukau track for this assignment. That was a bold effort this fella produced when he gamely chased after the tear away pacemaker Bigtime Cooper for his four length second after exiting from the seven trap. His conditioner Emma Potts will load him away into the eight trap on Sunday.
Cambridge trainer Peter Fergusson is bringing up his proven chaser Robson. He warmed up for this outing when he was sighted rushing home late for his Thursday C4/5 second behind his kennelmate Keysile after overcoming traffic when rounding the turn. Surprisingly this is his first Manukau race start, however he has trialed at the venue. He will be sighted parading in the white racing vest for this feature.
Sunday Manukau Clover Cup contenders includes (from left): Heart Shaped Box, Our Rick; Robson
Opawa Magic was a recent 30.66s C3/4 527m winner at this venue two races ago for his conditioner Glynnis Farrell after having previously placed second behind Cameo Syd. He kicked on soundly in last Sunday’s event where he yielded the runner up spot to Heart Shaped Box by a half length margin. He hopped away from trap seven then, and he will jump from that trap on Sunday.
Last season’s leading trainers Manukau trainers Jared Udy and Denise Cottam has accepted with two runners here with both of them contesting Cambridge 375m sprints on Thursday. Jinja Bailey didn’t clear early traffic in her 375m open class dash and she stayed back in the field after. She is a proven Manukau 527m chaser and drawing the two trap here is likely to see her contesting the early pace.
Kiwi Gal showed up early in her Thursday C4 375m sprint, however she didn’t kick on from there. Again she’s also a proven Manukau 527m chaser who is generally sighted contesting the early pace. She did so when finished second to Opawa Magic here two races ago. She will hop away from trap four on Sunday.
Completing the drawn field is the Rob Roper-trained Does He Exist who will have his first taste of open class chasing in this event. He’s picking on a handy field of proven contenders in this event after his solid recent lower graded efforts. He’s a litter brother to race rivals Cameo Syd and Kiwi Gal. He has been sprinting lately and his previous three 527m races haven’t seen him placing.
Sunday Manukau Clover Cup contenders includes (from left): Opawa Magic; Kiwi Gal; Does He Exist
By Peter Fenemor
