One of the four Group 3 acts on an extended 10 race card at Rosehill for Golden Slipper Stakes Day on Saturday is the NE Manion Cup 2016, betting odds and tips for the staying showdown found below.
Libran (inside) is the race favourite and Races.com.au tip to win Saturday’s 2016 NE Maninon Cup at Rosehill Racecourse. Photo: Steve Hart.
Set to run as Rosehill Race 2 at 1:15pm (AEDT), this year’s $150,000 Group 3 Irresistible Pools & Spas N E Manion Cup (2400m) features a nine-starter field led in betting at Ladbrokes.com.au by the short-priced favourite Libran at $2.30 for the win.
Drawn the rails with barrier one and Brenton Avdulla in the saddle, the Chris Waller-trained import comes off a narrow win from the same alley in the Listed Randwick City Stakes (2000m) from March 5.
He steps up to a mile and a half on the weekend, a distance he’s got a top record of two wins from three previous starts over in Europe.
Getting out over those miles for the first time down under this weekend, the Lawman gelding goes up from 54kg to 56kg but is still the firm favourite after breaking his Australian maiden last time out.
Three of his rivals are also under $10 for the win with the Gai Waterhouse-trained Kiwi import Dee I Cee ($4) running third-up in Australia, market mover Maurus ($5.50) who ran third in the Randwick City Stakes last time out and Auvray ($6.50) second-up off a fourth to Saturday’s favourite in the same lead-up.
Can Libran back up and win again or is there an upset NE Manion Cup result on the cards?
1st
#4 Libran ($2.30)
Sticking with the bookies’ choice here, Libran with the rails run and set to appreciate the step up in distance. He’ll be full of confidence after getting his first Australian win last time out, ran well at Rosehill the start before in black-type class and is still not weighted out of contention. Had a good turn of foot in the Randwick City Stakes win and looks the one to beat even at the short price for Sydney’s best stable.
2nd
#2 Auvray ($6.50)
John Thompson-trained five-year-old is quite heavily weighted (58.5kg), the same weight he had for the fourth at Randwick on debut behind Libran a fortnight back. Will be improving off that run and has won two from four over the 2400m, with winning form in Europe up to two miles (3200m). He is a Group 2 winner and Group 1 performer overseas, the French import also better over more metres than last start.
3rd
#9 Dee I Cee ($4)
Good weight and right barrier for this in-form New Zealand expat who has come close in his first two runs at Randwick for Waterhouse. The last saw him defeated only three quarters of a length carrying 56kg on February 27 over 2400m. Same distance here and rises in class, but drops to 54kg so should be peaking third-up.
Get behind our favourites or your own Rosehill selections across the Slipper Day program online at Ladbrokes.com.au and access the best autumn racing odds and options at the home of Odds Boost!
