Manaal is off to the Group 1 $4.92 million Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) on March 23 a worthy contender after returning to winning form second-up for the punters in the 2024 Sweet Embrace Stakes.

2024 Sweet Embrace Stakes winner Manaal was too good saluting second-up for the punters in Sydney. Photo: Steve Hart.

The Michael Freedman-trained Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes winning daughter of Tassort posted her second career success improving on her distant second behind the classy Lady Of Camelot in the Group 3 Widden Stakes on February 3 to hold off the fast finishers in the Group 2 $300,000 Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) on Verry Elleegant Stakes Day.

Lady Of Camelot franked the Widden form last weekend with her eye-catching second to Hayasugi in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield, and today in Sydney it was Manaal’s turn to do the same.

“She is one of the better fillies around, whether they can stack up against the colts remains to be seen,” Freedman told Sky Racing Thoroughbred. 

“She did it Gimcrack day, it was a great run first-up against Lady Of Camelot and it was good to see her do that today.

“We thought we could come here and get the job done, we’ll have a think about the Slipper.

“She is so straightforward, she has got the perfect two-year-old mentality. She’s a great ‘doer’ at home, she is very relaxed with everything she does and her racing style is very relaxed.

“It’s exciting times now, but I’m excited for what the future might hold for her too.”

She was given a gun ride by Tommy Berry settling mid-field three off with cover as the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Chateau Miraval led them around in the Sweet Embrace.

Once on the straight Berry came with his run, winding the $2.05 favourite up with 250m left to travel before moving up to take the lead.

In the end Manaal was simply too good running on well to defeat the fast finishing Fly Fly ($7) with Extreme Diva ($13) third.

She now faces a very tough task in defeating unbeaten colt Storm Boy, the Magic Millions 2YO Classic champ coming back with an effortless Group 2 Skyline Stakes victory earlier on the day.

He is now the raging $2.40 favourite in all-in Golden Slipper 2024 betting at Ladbrokes.com.au after winning the Skyline in 1 minute 9.98 seconds, a notably quicker time than Manaal’s 1 minute 10.37 second victory in the fillies’ race.

Manaal meanwhile is out to do the Sweet Embrace Stakes – Golden Slipper Stakes double for the first time since Fireburn (2022) and is into $17 to do so.

She gets Berry’s vote of confidence with the Sweet Embrace Stakes winning hoop drawing comparisons between Manaal and another former very good filly, She’s Extreme.

“She did a good job today, picked them up quick and was a class above them. They’re not the best we’ve seen (so far) heading into a Slipper,” he said. 

“She gave me a very similar feel to what She’s Extreme did and she won – I think – a week out from the Slipper. Then she was unlucky in the Slipper, second in the Sires’ and then won the Champagne.

“She gives me that sort of feel. I know she won well today but I think the two-year-olds she was up against might not be as strong as what the colts were today.

“If she went that way (towards the Golden Slipper), she’d be very competitive and she feels to me that once she gets up further she might be better suited.”   

Click here for the latest pre-field Golden Slipper Stakes odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.]

2024 Sweet Embrace Stakes Results & Finishing Order

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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