Golden Slipper hope Menari scratched from Skyline Stakes
MENARI will have to wait another week to book his Golden Slipper spot after he was scratched from this Saturday’s Skyline Stakes.
The colt was the hot tip to win the 1200m sprint, which would have secured him a berth in Australia’s premier two-year-old race at Rosehill Gardens on March 18.
But a mishap in the yard this week means the Corumbene Stud star will instead race in the Todman Stakes the following weekend.
It is the second time in the space of a month that Menari has left punters high and dry.
After blitzing a field of five on his maiden run in mid-January, he had to scramble hard for second place in an unlucky run in the Canonbury Stakes a fortnight later.
Trainer Gerald Ryan was less concerned with the result than with the horse’s strong finish from a poor position.
“You saw what happened last time, we never got to see the best of him because he was blocked for a run,” Ryan said this week.
“When he got clear he was very strong.”
Menari’s conquerer in the Canonbury was Pariah, who is among the fancies for the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes.
Some debate has arisen as to whether the Snitzel-sired prospect might boast more ability than most of the field in this Saturday’s feature race at Caulfield.
Toby Frazer, the stud master at Corumbene, certainly thinks that is the case.
“He is at the top of the tree,” Frazer said.
“He didn’t have the X-rays to go with it but he just needed time.
“If we had him in [at the] Easter [sales] he might have been OK but he was a great colt to have, an outstanding colt.
“He has just kept improving with everything he did and I would have been disappointed if he didn’t do what he has already done.
“He was just a lovely horse from the time he was on the ground.
“You get a bit biased when we rear these horses but he has always been special.”
Success in the Slipper would be just reward for the faith the owners have shown.
Menari was slated for the Magic Millions sales last year, where he was expected to fetch upwards of $500,000.
“Then two weeks out we got the X-rays and there were a couple of little faults, little issues,” said George Altomonte, the colt’s owner.
“It would have been enough of a knock on him for him not to sell well.
“There was nothing we could do about it.
“We decided that he was such a nice colt we would keep him at the farm.
“He had a big stride and was comparable to Sebring, but I think a better type.
“You don’t want to send a horse like him to the sale and get nothing for him.
“I didn’t want to do that to the horse, so we decided to keep him.”
Menari is paying +800 at CrownBet from the third line of betting for the Golden Slipper Stakes.