UK galloper Manighar is back in Australia trying to give grey horses a good name by trying to win Group 1 $6m 2011 Melbourne Cup (3200m) on Tuesday.
Mangihar, Luxbet Cup price $31, was targeted at the Melbourne Cup last year and ran seventh behind Americain who is the $4.60 Luxbet favourite for a repeat this year.
So the question is, has anything changed to enable Manighar to topple Americain and company in the 2011 Melbourne Cup?.
2011 Melbourne Cup – horse profile
#6 Manighar (barrier 21) 54kg
- Six year old grey horse
- Record: 20 starts 6 wins 3 second 3 third
- Winning distance range 2400m to 3000m
- Best win: 2009 Group 2 Prix Chaudenay Stakes (3000) Longchamp,
- Trainer: Luca Cumani, Newmarket, England.
- Jockey, Damien Oliver.
- Latest price Luxbet $31.
Manighar before last year’s Melbourne Cup finished fifth in the Caulfield Cup beaten three lengths by Descarado.
He raced in the 2011 Caulfield Cup as well and finished fourth beaten three lengths by Southern Speed – not much difference there.
In last year’s Melbourne Cup Manighar drew barrier 19 and this year it is barrier 21. Not much difference in that either.
Americain doesn’t seemed to have changed much either, he still looks like a top class stayer which is not good news for the Manighar connections.
Manighar’s best was certainly at the start of his career. He opened in a blaze of glory.
He won six of his first seven starts, the sixth being the Prix Chaudenay Stakes back in October 2009.
Since the Luca Cumani trained gelding has had 13 starts over two years for no wins.
He handles wet tracks but most of his wins have been on dry ground.
What you get from Manighar is an honest performance but he lacks that killer punch – or has so for the past two years anyway.
He is a grey and will have fans on that front but he is the right price with Luxbet.
Definitely tipped to run in the first ten, he may even sneak a place but hard to see Manighar break that drought in Australia’s most famous race.
At Luxbet you can back any Melbourne Cup horse to Win and if they are second over the line you will get your stakes back as a Refund Bet up to $250!
