An impressive gallop by Material Man at Caulfield this morning has given Mornington trainer Pat Carey no second thoughts of starting the veteran galloper in Saturday’s Group 1 $1m New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
Alizee, above, has been installed as the early favourite for the 2019 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Steve Hart.
“I thought he worked well,” Carey told AAP.
“It is good stimulation for a horse to come away from home and older horses like to be kept thinking a bit, so that’s good.”
“When the opportunity presents itself to work on a course proper, it’s a premium gallop and you don’t want to pass up that opportunity.”
“He is a good, genuine old horse with a great record. He has been well-maintained, well-trained in Western Australia, and if he gets anywhere near that form he’ll be competitive wherever he runs.”
Material Man is yet to salute at Group 1 level but the former Western Australian trained eight year old has been placed on three occasions at the elite level on his home track at Ascot in Perth.
Material Man produced some good runs during the 2018 Perth Summer Carnival at Ascot with a third in the Group 1 $1m Kirin Railway Stakes (1600m) followed by a second in the Group 1 $1m Magic Millions Kingston Town Classic (1800m) but failed to produce his best during the 2019 Melbourne Autumn Carnival when unplaced from four outings.
The former Justin Warwick trained galloper had two starts at Group 1 level at Caulfield over the Autumn Carnival which resulted in a sixth to Manuel in the $500,000 Ladbrokes C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) followed by a ninth to Alizee in the $500,000 Yulong Futurity Stakes (1400m).
Material Man never threatened at his other two Autumn starts at Flemington when twelfth in the Group 2 $200,000 Blamey Stakes (1600m) and tenth in the $5m All-Star Mile (1600m).
Carey has saddled up Material Man once for a first up sixth to So Si Bon in the Group 3 $160,000 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) down the Flemington straight on August 10 and the Mornington trainer is expecting the veteran to be competitive in the Memsie Stakes.
“He has come on nicely since the Aurie’s Star and he has been to Caulfield before at this level and he has run well,” Carey said.
“Obviously he’s getting older but he’s got plenty of vitality about him.”
Bookies at Ladbrokes.com.au has marked Material Man as one of the outsiders of the Memsie Stakes at $41 in early betting that has the James Cummings trained Alizee installed as the $2.80 favourite.
Early betting for the Memsie Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.80 Alizee, $6 Scales Of Justice, $7 Cliff’s Edge, $8 Hatrnell, $10 Begood Toya Mother, $15 Fundamentalist, Humidor, $17 Sesar, So Si Bon, $21 Despatch, Kenedna, $26 Black Heart Bart, Oohood, Qafila, $41 Aloisia, Material Man, $61 Vassilator.
The post No second thoughts to run Material Man in 2019 Memsie Stakes appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au.
