Hall of Famer and Living Legend reinswoman Kerryn Manning will add star power to today’s (June 9) Warragul Pacing Cup meeting – and could tick off a long-standing omission from her extraordinary harness racing resume in the process.
Manning hasn’t driven at Warragul for more than two decades and has never saluted there, making the Downtowner Warragul Cup Day a rare opportunity for the sport’s most decorated female driver to claim a victory at one of the few Victorian tracks missing from her list.
“I haven’t driven a winner at Warragul or Wangaratta – they’re the only tracks left in Victoria I think,” Manning said.
“I haven’t been there in a long time, mainly because it’s such a long way – about three and a half hours, allowing for traffic – but I’m looking forward to it. I’ve got some nice chances, and I’d love it if that breakthrough win could be one of the Warragul Cups.”
Manning’s last appearance at the tight-turning Gippsland circuit came back in 2001, when she partnered crowd favourite Go Charles to sixth place in the Cup.
At the time, she and Go Charles were in the midst of a stunning run, winning 10 of 15 starts which included the Mildura, Cranbourne and Moonee Valley Cups.
Today, she returns to Warragul with five drives on a day that promises high-quality racing and plenty of off-track entertainment for families and fans alike.
Manning’s drives include Too The Max (Race 1), Majestic Tooth (Race 3), Mitchell Wrap in the $20,000 Warragul Trotters Cup (Race 4), Muselet in the $17,500 Warragul Pacing Cup Final (Race 6), and Roylance (Race 7).
The Warragul Pacing Cup adopted a new format in 2024 – a heat-and-final series for up to NR 55 pacers – and its second edition has again drawn a strong field of country-level contenders.
Heats were held at Kilmore, Geelong and Cranbourne to qualify for the feature, with a $10,000 consolation also on the program.
Interestingly, Inexorable, runner-up in last year’s final behind Keayang Tokyo, has again made the decider and will be looking to go one better.
Fans attending Warragul on Cup Day will also enjoy free kids’ entertainment, food trucks, giveaways, bars, live music, and fashions on the field, ensuring something for everyone on what promises to be a brilliant day out.
A $10,000 cash giveaway will be won by a lucky racegoer at the meeting.
For Manning, already the winner of 4339 races, including an incredible 39 at Group 1 level, and $32.9 million in prizemoney from more than 19,500 drives, a breakthrough victory at Warragul would be more than just another stat – it would be a fitting nod to one of harness racing’s rarest accomplishments: winning at every Victorian track.
“I’m half-thinking I’m just slowly working my way through the alphabet!” she joked.