Horse Racing

Flemington Racecourse will host its latest summer stakes race this Saturday with the 2012 Chester Manifold Stakes, a quality final field of 13 engaged for the middle-distance galloper.

Danzylum will vie for his third straight win in the Chester Manifold Stakes at Flemington this Saturday

Scheduled as Flemington Race 6 on Saturday at 3:55pm (VIC time), the $150,000 Listed Chester Manifold Stakes (1400m) will be a chance for Peter Snowden’s undefeated three-year-old Pied A Terre to extend their career record to four-from-four.

In an early blow for the Ad Valorem gelding, however, Pied A Terre has come up with the ‘visitor’s draw’, jockey Mark Zahra to ride them from gate 13 of 13.

Still camp Snowden is keeping their hopes up after Pied A Terre showed their class first-up on New Year’s Eve when winning the Sportingbet Premium Handicap (1200m) at Moonee Valley by one and a half lengths over Smokin’ Joey with 57kg; they drop to 54.5kg on Saturday.

Saturday will be the youngster’s first time against an open-age field, but stable foreman Paul Snowden believes Pied A Terre is deserving of the assignment.

“I think he deserves a chance in this,” Snowden said.

“It’s early January and the strength of the main horses isn’t there yet so it’s a perfect time to tackle this grade of horse.

“If he didn’t win as well as he did first-up he was going to be running in the three-year-old race on Saturday (the Elms Handicap).

“It was either way but I think he deserves a crack.

“If he can overcome it (the wide barrier) he’s good enough (to win).”

Another in-form galloper that has an awkward double-digit gate for the Chester Manifold this year is Peter Moody’s There’s Only One who will vie for their sixth consecutive victory from barrier 12 with Luke Nolen aboard.

A four-year-old daughter of Testa Rossa, There’s Only One is as yet untested in black-type company, but she has form over the distance and track and is not out of it.

Moody will also be represented in the Chester Manifold Stakes field this year by Commands five-year-old Mr Make Believe who is second-up after running sixth to Zedi Knight in the Listed Xmas Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Boxing Day and Xmas Stakes failure Shout Out Loud.

Horses that fared better in the Chester Manifold Stakes barrier draw include 60kg topweight Danzylum (barrier five) who is seeks an unprecedented third straight victory in the feature, Clinton McDonald’s Second Effort (barrier two) who comes off a close fourth beaten less than a half-length by winner Chasm in the Listed Doveton Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield last weekend, and Horsham mare Let’s Be Happy who won over the track and distance on January 2.

See below for the full 2012 Chester Manifold Stakes field, barriers, weights and jockeys.

Markets on the race are due to be released at our preferred online bookmaker Luxbet shortly, so open your account with the best bookie in Australia now and be instantly rewarded with a bonus welcome bet  valued up to $400 when you deposit and quote BONUSBET!

2012 Chester Manifold Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Flemington Race 6 – 14/01/2012