Nothing Discreet About This One
- Saturday, 06 October 2012 06:29
Maybe Discreet Beats Member's JoySouth Australian raider Maybe Discreet gave a great display of on pace racing to win this afternoon's Group 2 TAB Edward Manifold Stakes at Flemington.
Trained by Phillip Stokes at Morphettville, Maybe Discreet ($6.50-$7.00-$5.00) held on to win by a short half head from the Melbourne Racing Club's Member's Joy ($9-$10) with only a neck to third placed Commanding Jewel ($2.80-$3.30-$3.10F).
Member's Joy was given every chance to succeed by rider Nicholas Hall who was back in thirteenth place at the 800 metre mark. She finished determinedly to just miss out but showed that she will be suited in a longer race at Flemington such as the 2000 metre Wakeful Stakes on Derby Day.
Commanding Jewel again ran well but showed that she might be reaching the end of her preparation by being unable to peg back the first two and may not be able to run out a strong 1600 metres at this stage of her career.
Maybe DiscreetTravelling forewoman Katie Manmon, filling in for Stokes said of Maybe Discreet:
"We've always had a high opinion of this filly and we knew once she stepped up to a mile that she'd really show her game."
"We're en route to the (Thousand) Guineas so hopefully she can go on with it."
Stokes elected to have Luke Nolen ride Maybe Discreet today instead of Paul Gatt who rode her in her win in the Listed Morphettville Guineas three weeks ago.
"We were delighted that he took the ride", said Manmon.
"He hasn't ridden her before but he's done his homework and she settled really good today."
Nolen explained that he had to use Maybe Discreet up early to get a position from her outside barrier, but then the race fell into place when he got a trail behind Walk With Attitude.
Maybe Discreet"We probably used a bit of gas getting across from an awkward gate but she had a good bunny (trail) and dragged up nice."
"She showed a bit of determination to fight them off at the furlong and probably got a little bit lost late but i thought the effort was really good."
Manmon explained that Maybe Discreet is a much better horse for having had the blinkers applied.
"She had her first start over 1100m and had a run at Moonee Valley probably five weeks ago and ran a really good race but we brought her back to Morphettville and put the blinkers on and she is a different horse with them."
Connections are now eagerly awaiting the Group 1 $500,000 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield on the 17th of October.
Nolen has no doubt that she will be competitive.
"I think she'll be suited by Caulfield where she'll be able to kick off that corner", he said.
Photos: Quentin Lang
