On Track Magazine Spring 2021

22 If the racing Gods sat down to create the perfect prelude to one of the finest weight-for-age races in the world, they would probably come up with something that looks and feels a lot like the Manikato Stakes. The Manikato is the show of speed before the heavyweight battle in the Ladbrokes Cox Plate; fast, furious, dramatic and all played out under the glow of The Valley lights. The Manikato Stakes night crowd is fever pitch and frothing with an appetite for excitement as the Cox Plate Carnival hits top gear. That is just the sort of reaction that Manikato himself inspired in racing fans when he tore up tracks around Australia in the late 1970s and early 1980s. At The Valley, Manikato won the then named Freeway Stakes twice, once in 1979 and then again in 1982, as well as incredible five William Reid Stakes and a Moir Stakes. Manikato is buried at The Valley and his memorial grave features in the new Tote Park precinct, ready for racegoers to visit when crowds return to the track. A fitting tribute to an incredible horse whose race has witnessed a superstar honour roll of its own. Think back to the great performance of the mighty Hay List who won his first Victorian Group 1 in the 2010 Manikato in a brute show of force before meeting his match against the incredible Black Caviar. Then, there is brave Buffering in 2013 who fought like a tiger to deny Hong Kong star Lucky Nine by a nose with the raider charging late and hard at Queensland’s heroic speedster. Lankan Rupee had but a whisker up his sleeve in what was arguably the best Manikato Stakes finish in history when he won the race in 2014; at the winning post that night just 1.5-lengths separated the first nine horses across the line, with half a length splitting the first six home. Then of course, there was Chautauqua. Jaw-dropping in 2015 as he rounded up his rivals from last on the turn to win running away from the field, with jockey Tommy Berry nearing G-Force acceleration as the grey flash let go with his trademark turn of foot. It was the night that Chautauqua announced himself as the premier sprinter in Australia. Two years later though, Chautauqua was a sensational THE SHOW OF SPEED BEFORE THE HEAVYWEIGHTS DO BATTLE By Mick Shar kie The great Manikato was named Australian Horse of the Year 1978-79 season