Breeders Crown: Peter Manning reins it in about next big thing

Peter Manning agrees that he’s probably a hard marker, but the Great Western horseman is just keeping a lid on things when it comes to star trotter Plymouth Chubb.

The 76-year-old legendary conditioner is widely renowned for his ability to get horses up and firing in their two-year-old season, with young guns of yesteryear Sheza Mona, Greek Gambit, Pelicanrama, Kathryn Dancer and Ananz just some of those that are testament to that.

So, despite winning 10 of 11 career starts so far – including the Group 1 Vicbred Platinum Home Grown Classic and time-honoured Redwood Classic – Manning’s just happy to leave the superlatives and comparisons to those in the media.

“You just heard what my other two-year-olds did,” the Great Western local said when asked where Plymouth Chubb ranked alongside his other great horses.

“He’s got a few more to win to catch up with them. He’s just another nice horse that I’ve got.”

Manning admits that he’s “accustomed to getting them fit early in life” and thinks he might have even played a part in Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin’s dominance of the Victorian juvenile races in recent years.

“They both worked here and they know the system,” he said.

“My best year, Ï had 28 two-year-olds and 18 of them won. Only one didn’t make the races out of that and all the others were placed.”

Plymouth Chubb’s only career defeat came on debut at Tabcorp Park Melton when he galloped his way out of contention, but he had excuses after being involved in a road accident on the way to the track.

Since then, the Majestic Son gelding has proven an unbeatable force and the clear leader of the two-year-old squaregaiting ranks in his home state.

Plymouth Chubb’s success in the Breeders Crown Series 2YO Trotting Colts and Geldings heat at Maryborough on November 11 stretched his winning sequence to 10 and he’s a firm favourite to claim tonight’s elite level final at Melton.

But his place at the top of the class is somewhat surprising according to Manning, who said he’d never shown much on the training track before heading to the races.

“He’s not a very impressive worker. He’s just an ordinary worker,” Manning said.

“Some of my horses feel good, but you work him and he just goes along with the flow. If they work slow, he works slow.”

Manning and his daughter Kerryn are both Gordon Rothacker medalists and the 45-year-old reinswoman will be at the controls for tonight’s $100,000 feature.

“He’s beaten every horse in the race before so if everything goes right, he should be able to beat them again,” Manning, who won the race all the way back in 1999 with Klaus Koch, said.