Trots Centre: Kerryn hopeful training challenges become race challengers

Kerryn Manning’s famed for having driven/ridden more winners than any other female but even she carries a little uncertainty about her stable’s chances in tonight’s Bendigo trots.

Manning presents recent additions Terryrama and Tinder Surprise amid tonight’s eight-race card, which kicks off on Trots Vision at 6.01pm, and though one recently put a Group 1 to his name and the other is an unbeaten Kiwi there appear many questions still to answer.

Terryrama (pictured) shot to the national spotlight when the five-year-old tripled his career prize money in start 30 by winning the $100,000 TAB Western Region Championships Final for Malcolm and Brett Hutchings.

The stable sent the Western Terror gelding south to Manning in search of further success, including his Vicbred bonus, and the plan looked on track when Terryrama made his Victorian debut in the Plover Security Pace at Ballarat on July 9.

He loomed in promising style in a very competitive field only to strike disaster with about 200 metres to go when ready to challenge leader, favourite and eventual winner Shesskylah.

“His hobble broke and he’s not the safest gaited horse when he has good hobbles,” Manning said. “I don’t know if he was going to win, but it felt like he was running on well enough. Otherwise he went well, which is a good sign.”

Speaking amid yesterday’s Stawell racing that added two wins and two second placings to Manning’s considerable career haul, she said Terryrama had only been “OK” in training, but she was hopeful he’d put it all together on the race track.

“He is not the easiest horse to train and drive, but he has a bit of talent,” she said. “He has had some tricks in the past, but is putting it together.”

Owing to his out of draw status he’ll step from gate 10 in tonight’s TLC Carpentry Pace and Manning admitted “we will need a bit of luck”.

“He will settle in the running line and has got enough talent, it’s just his manners that make life interesting.

“Some of his runs have looked smart enough and he has run some good times. You wouldn’t have a huge opinion of him on the way he works, but a lot of horses struggle at home because it’s a harder training track and then flourish in races.”

It’s a description that Manning hopes will also be attributable to Tinder Surprise, a new Kiwi addition who comes with the beginnings of a picket fence.

By Betterthancheddar out of unraced mare Jet Spirit, whose only foal is nine-time winner Blue Blazer ($56,654), Tinder Surprise won his only two New Zealand starts in February and March of this year before being snapped up by New South Wales-based owners Greg, Maree and Geoff Williams.

“It’s nice to get some new ones come through and some new owners,” Manning said. “He’s working OK. He’s in a handy enough field over the short distance and we will see how he goes.

“He’s quite big and it looks like he has a bit more growing to do. His manners are getting a lot better the longer he’s worked, but I am looking for improvement on his work.”

Tinder Surprise is one of three three-year-olds contesting tonight’s rating 55-70 Garrards Horse And Hound Pace, drawing directly outside Jess Tubbs’ Gee Smith and with Aaron Dunn’s Shady Azz to start outside the front row.

The short distance pace caps tonight’s eight-race card at 9.30pm on Trots Vision.

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