It just feels right that Kerryn Manning will be a key part of Emma Stewart’s quest to continue her dominance of the rich Vicbred series at Melton on Saturday night.
The pair go back 25 years to when Stewart worked for Manning’s father, Peter, at his hugely successful Great Western stables.
“Then I drove the first horse Emma trained, Katies Secret, to win her first two starts (in 2002),” Manning said. “So, we’ve come full circle.
“It’s incredible the success Emma’s gone on to have with Clayton (Tonkin).
“It’s always great to pick up drives for them because they’ve got so many top horses. They’re usually better than anything else I drive.”
Manning qualified three of Stewart’s young pacing stars – Most Exciting, Some High and My Bettor Half – for the Vicbred finals through last Saturday night’s semi-finals.
Most Exciting looks the best winning chance from a perfect draw (gate one) in the strong $150,000 3YO colts and geldings final where Stewart and Tonkin train five of the 12 finalists, plus the emergency Lowrider.
“I was excited when I saw the draw,” Manning said. “It’s the same draw he won from last week and the win was better than it looked.
“He got really keen in the run and then wanted to hang out when the run came along the sprint lane, but once I straightened him he put them away easily.
“He’s a big chance again with the same sort of run.”
Some High ran a big second to stablemate Cardigan Sniper in the semi, but the pair have tricky draws – Some High in gate seven and Cardigan Sniper 13 – in the $150,000 2YO colts and geldings final.
“I thought I had the other horse beaten about five times, but he just kept coming back,” Manning said. “In saying that, I had to make a long sustained run from back in the field and he went great.
“I’d think he’d be right in the finish again on that run.”
Manning concedes a minor placing might be her best hope on three-year-old filly My Bettor Half from a bad draw (gate 12) against stablemates Bettor Beach (one) and Pre Eminant (nine).
“I ran third on her in last year’s two-year-old final and while she’s a lovely filly, she’s a bit behind the best ones,” she said.
More immediately, Manning will also team with Stewart on two of her runners in the Vicbred four-year-old pacing heats at Kilmore on Thursday night.
“I’ve got House Party in the first race, but she’s up against the stablemate The Art Of Success, and Apollostorm in race four,” she said
Manning’s key Vicbred role continues a strong season for the trailblazer, who boasts more than 4500 career wins and five Australian driving titles.
She set an Australian record with her 17th drive in the Inter Dominion trotting final when a luckless sixth on Lovemeto in July.
