By BARRY STREET
Manchu Warrior has not been the luckiest galloper around, nor the easiest to train, since he won a group three 1600m at Awapuni three years ago.
But trainer Brian Hedley, of Paeroa, believes the horse is well enough to land another group-three win at Ellerslie today.
On recent form, plus wet-track ability, Manchu Warrior deserves to be among the favourites for the $30,000 Deutz Marlborough Cuvee Stakes, a weight-for-age 2000m.
His third two starts back was an eye catcher, less than a length behind the now-retired weight-for-age star Rebel, in the Montana Wines Challenge Stakes over 1600m at Ellerslie.
Then again he finished strongly for a last-start third behind Straight Back in an open-class 1600m at Te Rapa.
A rails pocket counted against him last time and is one of the problems regular rider Mark Sweeney must strive to avoid today.
No 1 at the barrier is not the prime position for Manchu Warrior, Hedley acknowledged yesterday.
"Hardly ever in his career has he gone good races along the rails. For that reason I'd rather he was drawn out tomorrow at around No 8.
"Still, there is nothing much we can do about that except hope that they go hard up front and create gaps so that Mark can work off the rails.
"I've talked the race over with Mark, and he agrees there should be enough speed on to escape traffic problems."
The number of times the lightly framed Manchu Warrior has been buffeted, injured or nearly grounded in his career amounts to many more than Hedley cares to recall.
The 8-year-old has also had numerous setbacks in the past three years, including a debilitating virus and more recently a touch of arthritis in his joints.
Front runner Native Chief, hotly pursued by free-goers like Windsor Phew and Just There, should provide the pace the Manchu Warrior camp would be grateful for.
It would not even surprise if Windsor Phew or Just There stuck on well enough to finish in the money.
All the rain that has fallen in Auckland since Friday night makes it probable that most of today's winners at Ellerslie will be wet-trackers who race handily.
Racing: Warrior well-primed for Deutz battle
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