Trainer Symon Wilde is hoping predicted rain arrives at Flemington over the next 48 hours to assist the chances of consistent three-year-old Mannopoly in the $70,000 Australian Lamb Company Handicap (1700m) this Saturday.
Flemington is currently rated a Dead 4 with showers predicted for the remainder of today and tomorrow.
While co-trainer of Mannopoly Symon Wilde is not expecting a downgrade into the Slow range he is hopeful the sting will be out of the track for the three-year-old who jarred up last start.
“The wetter it gets the better,” Wilde said.
“He handles soft ground quite easily so that would be a big advantage.”
Mannopoly at his first weekend metropolitan company start this campaign ran a respectable fourth behind Dominant Future in the $100,000 Slickpix Silver Bowl 3YO Final (1600m) at Flemington on July 9.
The Manner Hill gelding drew wide and was forced to go forward without cover early on yet still managed to chase gamely despite pulling up sore.
Wilde was pleased with the run under the circumstances
“He was second topweight, had a wide barrier, it was a firm track and he jarred up after it,” Wilde said.
“He didn't get much cover, had to press forward and I thought he was quite game in the straight. Given all that it was a pretty solid effort.”
“James [Winks] said he thought the horse might have jarred up because he was laying in up the straight. He said it felt like he had plenty there at the top of the straight but when he went to ask for the supreme effort he didn't quite stretch out like he thought he would.”
Mannopoly will benefit from barrier 10 this weekend and meets last start rivals Captura and Galileo Gold better off at the weights.
“The result depends on the sort of run he gets,” Wilde said.
“If he gets across cheaply and they don't go too hard he will be right in it.
“In the same token he is very versatile, he has won some races coming from well back and he has been right up on the pace in others.
“We can probably ride him to suit the race once we do the form and look at where the speed is coming from.”
The consistent runner should also appreciate the rise in trip with the training partnership of Bill and Symon Wilde hoping to run Mannopoly over 2000m next season after a likely spell.
“He has done a really good job this time in climbing the ladder right from a Ratings 62 up to Saturday class,” Symon Wilde said.
“He has come a long way so instead of getting him to 2000m I would be more inclined to give him a freshen up after this.”
Mannopoly is the first horse Bill and Symon Wilde commenced training for owner Danny Rose who raced Group 1 Thousand Guineas winner and Caulfield Cup placegetter Inaflury.
Rose also owns Mannopoly's sire Manner Hill who stands at Cherokee Rose Stud in Victoria for a service fee of $7,700.
“This was the first horse he gave us,” Wilde said. “I've got a couple of his now.”
“They stand the stallion Manner Hill. We received a surprise phone call from him [Danny Rose] wanting us to train him [Mannopoly] so we took him on as an untried horse and fortunately he's turned out pretty good.”
Stable stalwart Hissing Sid was also nominated to resume during Saturday's Flemington meeting.
Connections however did not accept with the dual Listed-winning stayer as they prepare him for a spring campaign.
“We've got him up and ready, just not 100% yet,” Wilde said.
“We galloped him during the week and he just needs a little more time.
“The plan is to give him one or two runs in the winter and then a short freshen up to have him ready for the early spring.
“He has been off the scene for a fair while now so we thought one or two runs in the Winter might really bring him on and have him cherry ripe for the spring time.
“We are aiming at those Listed, Group 3 type staying races, maybe events like Ballarat and Bendigo Cups. They will be right up his alley.”
On resuming it will be almost a year since Hissing Sid's last run when seventh in the Group 2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley with the honest performer subsequently ruled out of the 2010 spring due to a minor tendon tear.
There were plans for Hissing Sid to return much earlier than what is currently planned with the gelding at one stage prepared for the 2011 Warrnambool Cup (2350m) in May after he claimed the 2009 and 2010 renewals.
“We had him ready for a tilt at the Warrnambool Cup but sitting down with the owners we decided it wasn't the smartest move,” Wilde said.
“He was going to cop a lot of weight and the 28th race on the third day on a chopped up Warrnambool track isn't the ideal place to be bringing a horse back from a tendon injury.
“We decided we would go with a couple of runs in the Winter and then set him for what will hopefully be a long campaign through the spring.”