Читать книгу Manikato - Adam Crettenden - Страница 8

4

The Flawless Diamond

The warmth of summer moved on, as did Manikato’s preparation. It had not taken long to get him to the point where ribs were showing—an indication that he was close to peak fitness. The wonderment of youth was working in Hoysted’s favour. Young horses tend to burn their energy quicker and easier than most older ones. Therefore, Manikato wasn’t required to set Epsom’s training tracks on fire with his workouts following the Cranbourne victory. Hoysted kept him to a quiet trot and a canter for almost a week before a solid gallop on the morning of Tuesday, 31 January. With Willetts in the saddle, the two-year-old breezed up an easy 600 metres in 38 seconds flat.1 The work looked effortless to the naked eye. Most who saw it would have guessed it was in the low 40s, but the fast pace was yet another indication that this horse was above-average.

This was his only serious workout before his next start. Hoysted, true to his word, identified a city fixture for Manikato’s second start: the Mollison Handicap, run at Flemington on 4 February 1978. With his mind set on the Blue Diamond Stakes, this race was perfectly timed on the calendar (being three weeks before the lucrative two-year-old race at Caulfield). To be assured a start, however, Manikato would need to win the Mollison.

It seemed that Hoysted’s strategy was akin to several other trainers. When acceptances were declared, the race was full to capacity, with twenty-four runners. Furthermore, the quality of the race looked formidable, with many in the line-up also headed towards the Blue Diamond Stakes. Leading trainer Colin Hayes had engaged Rumpus Room, who was unbeaten in two starts so far. Karaman was a recent impressive debut winner, just like Manikato. Fearless Duke and Hurtle Square also had good form, and if that wasn’t enough, Angus Armanasco (a genius when it came to training young horses) had three first-starters in the race.

Despite the depth of talent, Rumpus Room was installed as a clear favourite, with Manikato sharing the second line of betting at 9/2. The chestnut had drawn gate five for the race down Flemington’s straight course.

Two scratchings on the morning of the race reduced the field to twenty-two. Racegoers were greeted by a stinking hot summer’s day with a howling northerly wind. It was no surprise that the Flemington track was rated fast. The Mollison Handicap was race seven, at 3.45pm—late in the day for a two-year-old event, but another indication of the quality of the field.

Heading to the gate, betting was keen. Rumpus Room easily held on to favouritism while Manikato drifted out slightly to 5/1—despite Hoysted’s conviction that he had a potential champion on his hands. Nevertheless, it was a chance to make some money and Hoysted invested some of his winnings from Cranbourne.

Races run down the Flemington straight are generally unorthodox. Big fields often split into two groups: one coming out towards the outside rail while the other sticks to the inside. The Mollison Handicap, with its twenty-two entrants, was no exception. However, the size of the groups greatly differed. Twenty horses came to the outside rail while just two stayed near the inside. One of those two was Manikato and the other was Rumpus Room.

Gary Willetts on Manikato and Rumpus Room’s rider, Brent Thomson, couldn’t believe what was happening. They had drawn adjoining barriers and assumed that most opponents would follow their every move. Nothing was further from the truth. Suddenly, they were lonely figures coming down the inside rail. Manikato was leading Rumpus Room, but there wasn’t a lot between them, and each had to brunt their fair share of the workload just to keep pace with the pack.

The straight course met up with the home straight at Flemington with just over 400 metres to go—a little over halfway into the race. Willetts was starting to feel for Manikato. He was in touch as he looked across to his rivals, with Manikato’s naturally high cruising speed helping enormously.

But as he asked the youngster for a bigger effort, both Manikato and Rumpus Room could only lag behind the leader, which was now Karaman. The fierce northerly acted as a spinnaker for those out wider, and most of the field had gained some advantage over the two favourites on the other side of the track. The force of the wind also hardened the outer half of the surface, which made this ground faster than the turf Manikato and Rumpus Room were galloping on. No wonder they appeared to be labouring in pursuit of Karaman.

The race finished a long way off from anticipated expectations, with conditions playing a significant role. The grey Karaman had won at 12/1 for trainer Brian Ralph, with Stan Aitken aboard. Manikato came in second with Rumpus Room following in third.

By day’s end, most had accepted that the grandstand side of the track was lengths faster. Both Manikato and Rumpus Room lost nothing in punter admiration for their performances; Manikato was beaten by just over a length, with Rumpus Room a further length behind.

Bon Hoysted was faced with a dilemma. The target was firmly the Blue Diamond Stakes in three weeks’ time. A victory in the Mollison would have seen Manikato’s prize money catapult to a level that would escape ballot for the feature event. However, the second-place reward of $1300 only lifted the tally to $2470. With a limited number of places available in the Blue Diamond, it was vital to have the earnings to make the cut-off. For Manikato, a country maiden win and a city placing wasn’t going to be enough to guarantee a start.

There was a plan B, which required Manikato to be at Flemington on Valentine’s Day. Another race down the straight course over 1000 metres beckoned. Hoysted was risking a similar outcome to what had occurred in the Mollison, leaving him with a potentially weary horse and no Blue Diamond start. But if this were to be his champion, a positive result would be forthcoming.

Manikato donned the number one saddlecloth and led the field out for the first race of the day: the Delina Handicap, which was run before midday. Twelve challengers cantered off to the starting gates with him, many with the same dreams as Bon Hoysted and owner Mal Seccull.

In the betting ring, the modest gathering was in full cry. The final few minutes leading up to a race were the busiest as bookies exchanged receipt tickets for cash. Bookmakers spruiked but punters baulked at the 1/2 that was on offer. With little business done, the price drifted to 8/13 as the field loaded. Many abstained from betting, simply content to see if Manikato could win without risking large sums of money for a small return.

Manikato began smartly. There’d been some discussion between Hoysted and Gary Willetts about letting another horse take the lead early, which would give the gelding a breather and get him to chase instead of being chased. Manikato had relished it in trackwork but had not yet had the opportunity to race in that manner.

However, the brilliance Manikato showed in the first fifty metres gave no runner a chance to be ahead of him. Manikato easily led and unlike ten days ago, every runner followed the chestnut down to the inside half of the track. They were at the mercy of the short-priced favourite. Willetts controlled the tempo of the race. It wasn’t fierce and relentless throughout—more a cruising speed that was uncomfortable for most to maintain.

With 400 metres to go, Willetts loosened his hold and Manikato surged forwards. Only one horse was able to keep pace. Turf Ruler was a 14/1 chance following an inauspicious debut in the Mollison Handicap, but had learnt greatly from that experience and represented a significant threat. At the clocktower, the race was still to be won and Willetts asked for the final burst from Manikato. Within a few bounds, Turf Ruler’s hopes ended, his energy reserves depleted. With no other challengers coming, Willetts could afford to reduce the amount of vigour in the last 100 metres, and it was clear that the one-length winning margin could have been sizably more.

Manikato ran the 1000 metres in 58.3 seconds—over a second quicker than the other division of the Delina Handicap, which was run half an hour later and won by Hauberk (trained by Bon Hoysted’s brother, Bob).

The target vindicated, counting down to Victoria’s richest two-year-old race had commenced; it was eleven days away. Bon Hoysted kept Manikato to his training system but had everything crossed to ensure the horse stayed sound and healthy. Any seemingly innocuous leg knock, any cut or abrasion or virus could prevent Kato from lining up. The horse didn’t require any complex trackwork program to get him to the starting line, his three races having brought his fitness level to peak. It was now a matter of waiting for the day to arrive.

The Blue Diamond Stakes was still quite new to the Victorian racing calendar. The 1978 running of the race was the eighth since inception. First run in 1971, it had rapidly grown from a purse of under $15,000 to $80,500 (including trophies), making it the most lucrative race for juveniles in the state. Tommy Smith had already won the race twice, while Angus Armanasco, Colin Hayes, Ted Broadhurst and Bart Cummings had won the race previously, and were represented this year. It had become the banner race of a feature day and was now worth approximately twice the prize money of the Oakleigh Plate, and three times the value of the St George Stakes.

Understandably, there was high excitement in the Bon Hoysted stable in the week leading up to the race. The prestige of the occasion meant a new suit had been ordered for Bon, while Leeanne Smith was fitted with new jodhpurs and a pair of long boots.

Two days out, Manikato rounded off his preparation for the race with a brisk gallop at Epsom.

‘I think we will win on Saturday. He just keeps on improving,’ Gary Willetts announced to Hoysted as he dismounted. The trainer desperately hoped his rider was right, but deep within he was filled with nervousness and anxiety.

Later that morning, the final field with the barrier draw was released. Manikato drew twelve in an eighteen-horse field. All connected with the horse knew he would have the necessary speed to offset any barrier drawn, but twelve was close to ideal.

Early markets suggested it to be an open race with many horses carrying winning form. Karaman was unbeaten in three starts, including the victory in the Mollison over Manikato. Caledonian Planet had won five of his six starts and had Roy Higgins to pilot him. Shannara was one of eight fillies to line-up. She’d impressively won both of her starts—one at Caulfield and one at Flemington, while in Pacifica’s previous start he’d thrashed his rivals in his home state of South Australia. Embasadora and Rumpus Room were amongst the other entrants and were conceded at least some chance at winning. Manikato was priced at 7/1, such was the depth of two-year-old talent engaged to compete.

* * *

A comfortable, mid-twenties day was absorbed by the 24,972 racegoers attending the 1978 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield. A fast-rated track was a surprise to nobody given the time of year. The favourite in each of the first three races had been beaten as punters cast their bets on the Blue Diamond (which was race four and due at 2.55pm).

Manikato had not upset anyone with his behaviour. Since arriving at the track he had quietly stood in his tie-up stall for over an hour. In that time he had remained obedient while saddled before being led around a back parade ring in a similar fashion to his trackwork routine. As he headed into the mounting enclosure, he was a powerhouse ball of muscle. He had veins outlining his hindquarters, a barrel that readily displayed his ribs and shoulders that rippled with every step he walked. While most of his competitors still had plenty of physical growth ahead of them, Manikato looked close to the finished product. No other horse matched some of the attributes he already possessed.

‘He developed from an ugly duckling into a big, strong youngster,’2 said Willetts.

As the field headed to the start, there was a late betting plunge going on and it didn’t involve Manikato. Pacifica was heavily backed with every rails bookie at the track. His price tumbled from 7/2 into 5/2. Manikato’s price continued to drift, getting out to 12/1. In a race where the prize money was so lucrative to connections that betting was less significant, Bon Hoysted and Mal Seccull decided to modestly support Manikato only after seeing the double-figure odds available.

The gates sprung open and the eighteen two-year-olds were off on their scamper. There was immediate drama when an outsider, Fearless Duke struck trouble and lost his rider, Garry Murphy. Of the well-fancied runners, Embasadora suffered the most interference in that incident. Manikato was nowhere near the trouble; he was up front already. A filly named Toolern High was attacking, and even though she was off the fence, she was just ahead of Manikato as they headed towards the home turn. Shannara and Rumpus Room were just behind the leaders with the well-backed Pacifica very close to the speed with Karaman, who was wider on the track.

As they turned, Pacifica hung out noticeably, losing any momentum and opportunity. Manikato had used the rail to draw to a narrow lead from Toolern High, who was still trying to go toe-to-toe with him. Willetts was riding as if he had something extra in his back pocket, while Toolern High was at her top speed. They had raced away from the others. Karaman was battling hard and Embasadora—having recovered from the early trouble—was running on.

With 200 metres to run, it was time for Willetts to open up the gelding. The well-developed frame briskly dashed clear. Toolern High’s bravery was safely keeping her in second place but she was not bounding in the same fashion as the victor. Manikato’s hooves were hardly touching the ground as he sped to the line, defeating that season’s best two-year-old’s.

Gary Willetts took his time pulling up the winner. He absorbed the moment, which was one of his biggest wins since moving from New Zealand. A round of applause greeted the pair as they returned to the enclosure for Willetts to dismount. Waiting there was an excited Leeanne Smith and Bon Hoysted, who was wearing the straight-faced façade built over 37 years as a trainer.

Willetts was jubilant as he removed the saddle from Manikato’s back.

‘I was always confident. From the first time I rode him I knew he was a top horse.’3

Leeanne led the youngster around the enclosure, pausing briefly for some photos and then watching the initial part of the official presentation, before finally being allowed to take him for a hose to cool off. The euphoria was over and now it was just Leeanne and her unsaddled chestnut. At that moment, to the casual observer it could have been any horse. Quietly, Leeanne took Manikato from the horse wash back to his tie-up stall where nobody was waiting. Manikato’s owner and trainer were being looked after by the Victorian Amateur Turf Club and punters were pre-occupied with the next race. Leeanne scraped the Blue Diamond winner to remove any excess water from his coat, applied a towel, gave him a drink and then turned an empty bucket over to use as a seat. She sat down and cried.

‘There was a big build-up to the day and then the thrill of being involved in the race and the “Wow!” moment where he actually won it. I was extremely proud of Kato and I finally had a few minutes where it was me and my horse, and all I did was cry.’

As Leeanne absorbed those overwhelming moments, the official presentation and photographs had concluded. Bon Hoysted, Mal Seccull and Gary Willetts had a bevy of pressmen waiting for them. All were surprised when Hoysted was asked if there was another target for Manikato.

‘Probably the Sires’ Produce at Flemington in a couple of weeks, if he pulls up well,’ stated Hoysted.

‘What about the Golden Slipper?’ quizzed a member of the press gallery.

The Golden Slipper Stakes is Australia’s richest race for two-year-old horses and is run at Rosehill in Sydney over 1200 metres—the same distance as the Blue Diamond. In 1978, it was worth $150,000, and run just two weeks after the Blue Diamond. It seemed good timing for a horse attempting to run in both.

Hoysted explained that the pre-race hype and fanfare concerned him, as well as the necessary travelling and the need to race in the opposite direction to Melbourne. It was a legitimate claim, and it emphasised that Hoysted was prepared to put the needs of his horse above any prestige or prize money on offer. It did raise eyebrows though. Manikato was anything but agitated throughout Blue Diamond Day. Plus it seemed the quality of Sydney two-year-old’s was below that of Melbourne’s—that is, if one believed what was written in the media.

The lure of the Golden Slipper was too much for some to simply let go of. A celebratory dinner was hastily organised for the Manikato team and Gary Willetts was quick to plant a seed in Hoysted’s mind while at dinner.

‘[Manikato] can only run in the race once, Bon, and it might be your only chance to win a race like the Golden Slipper, too,’ pleaded Willetts.

Hoysted took it in but preferred to enjoy the night for what had been achieved rather than argue about things that lay ahead. Much had been accomplished already. It was almost twelve months to the day since the disproportionate colt sweltered around a tiny concrete sales ring, selling for a modest figure. He was now regarded as the best two-year-old in Australia.