Co-trainer Leon Corstens is giving market mover Tried And Tired the “benefit of the doubt” ahead of Saturday’s Chester Manifold Stakes 2016 with the galloper set to appreciate the bend in the Flemington track stepping up in distance.
Tried And Tired will be better suited to the 1400m at Flemington than the straight track for Saturday’s Chester Manifold Stakes 2016. Photo: Adrienne Bicknell.
One of two in the nine-horse field for this year’s $120,000 Listed Chester Manifold Stakes (1400m) for the locally based training partnership of Leon & Troy Corstens along with General Groove, Niello six-year-old Tried And Tired is the early market mover.
After opening at $5.50 in Chester Manifold Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au, where punters can enjoy Best Tote or SP + 20% on Flemington Race 7 on Saturday, the gelding has firmed right into $4.60.
He is drawn in the second outside gate (eight) with local jockey Mark Zahra retaining the ride after he guided the galloper to a close fourth crossing under a length off the winner Durendal on January 1 in the Group 3 Standish Handicap (1200m) down the Flemington straight.
Corstens isn’t sure how well Tried And Tired handles the straight having had 10 runs at Flemington for one win and two thirds, and said the horse’s run in the worst part of the track last time out was a credible excuse.
“It was his first time down the straight the other day and to be honest, I don’t know that he handled it,” Corstens told Racenet.
“That said, I reckon he was in the worst part of the track so we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.”
Corstens is more confident stepping the seven-time winner up over 1400m for the 12th time this weekend with Tried And Tired shooting four his fourth win over the distance.
“The way he’s been working I’ll be disappointed if he’s not in the first three,” he said.
Before the Standish the middle-distance sprinter ran third to Wild Rain in the Listed Doveton Stakes (1000m) at Sandown, his first run since the winter.
Tried And Tired hasn’t won a race since the Listed Christmas Stakes (1200m) at Sandown-Lakeside on Boxing Day of 2014, after which he ran a brave second just nosed out of the win by the Gerald Ryan-trained Red Excitement in last year’s Chester Manifold Stakes.
He goes up from 58kg last summer to 58.5kg this weekend, which is one and a half kilograms more than his Standish Handicap weight (57kg) from January 1.
Ryan returns this year looking for back-to-back wins saddling up the 59kg top weight Dances On Stars who is at $7 to win and improve on his last start second behind Cradle Me in the Listed Canterbury Classic (1200m) at Randwick on December 26.
The other Team Corstens-trained runner on Saturday is $9 hope General Groove who is also firming having opened at $11.
Drawn ideally in barrier three for jockey Stephen Baster, the six-year-old is third-up on the weekend and was last seen running only two lengths away fifth behind Tuscan Sling in the Listed Christmas Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
“He’ll strip fitter than he was at Caulfield and I’m really happy with the way he’s come on from that run,” Corstens said.
“He needed it going into that and he’s definitely better for it, he’s going terrific.”
General Groove also has winning form over Saturday’s track and distance from November of 2014, after which he was runner-up to subsequent Doomben Cup winner Pornichet in the Group 3 Sandown Stakes (1500m).
Check out the full Chester Manifold Stakes betting odds and promos including Best Tote or SP + 20% available online this Saturday only at Ladbrokes.com.au!
