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    FAST FINISH: Horsham based six-year-old gelding Vinny Rock, back, with Michael Bellman aboard, makes the most of the Stawell sprint-lane on Friday afternoon and holds off the fast finishing Time To Torque, Kerryn Manning, to take out the Judith McLeod Memorial Pace for owner-trainer Rod Carberry. Picture: Claire Weston Photography

Bigger and better ahead for ‘Fred’

By Tony Logan

It would be a rare day indeed that the Manning name did not feature in results of a Stawell race meeting, and three-year-old gelding Mystery Fred’s victory in the James and Lorna McLeod Memorial Trot ensured that last Friday was not one of them.

Mystery Fred began best of the seven runners when the green light signalled and easily found the top, with Kerryn Manning rating the son of ill-fated stallion, Aldebaran Eagle USA at a leisurely tempo throughout the 2180-metre journey.

Still trotting solidly at the top of the home stretch, Mystery Fred had plenty in reserve and staved off the pursuing trio of Maximez, Michelle Wight, Rastamon, Tina Ridis, and Icicle, Jackie Barker, to score by 3.2 metres in an all girls first four. 



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The win took the gelding’s record to three wins from 15, and probably should have had a couple more on the board with manners costing dearly on a number of occasions. 

Peter Manning is the master of the square-gaiters and given more time and confidence I’m sure ‘Fred’ can go on to bigger and better things.

Bred and raced by the Benson and Hegyi family of NSW, the trotter continues a long association with the Manning camp that began in 1999 with their smart trotter, Kim’s Fantasy, 20 wins. 

Kim’s Fantasy then produced offspring with an aggregate of 61 wins when retired to the breeding barn.

Her first foal, Pocket Fantasy, won five races in the double blue silks and has left winners of 69 races including Edge Hill and Plymouth Chub.   Manning also trained Pocket Fantasy’s 2013 foal, which raced as Garston Girl, for 10 wins and is the dam of Mystery Fred.

‘She’s a star’

Racecaller Dan Mieliki cried ‘she’s a star in the making’ as four-year-old Sweetnikkilou cruised to the line at Melton on Saturday night, winner of the $22,000 Logical Staffing Solutions FFA for Horsham trainer-driver Aaron Dunn.

Dunn took the initiative at the start, making the most of Sweetnikkilou’s early speed to cross to the pegs and hold out the main danger Sweet Bella, Ryan Duffy, around the first bend. 

He then elected to hand up as the mare relaxed beautifully to enjoy a sweet trip on the back of the leader for most of the 2240-metre journey.

At the 800-metre mark Duffy upped the ante with a 28.1 second quarter with ‘Nikki’ still in touch and halfway around the home turn Dunn eased away from the markers to eyeball the leader at the top of home stretch.

The daughter of Sweet Lou USA was much too strong over the final stages and scored by 9.2-metres in a rate of 1:55.2 with a final split in 27 seconds.

Sweetnikkilou is the first foal from the Dunn family’s former smart racemare, Nikkibadwagon and Saturday night was her seventh win from just 15 starts.

Provided ‘Nikki’ pulls up well, Dunn will take her back to Melton on Saturday night to contest the $50,000 Group Three Alabar Farms Ladyship Cup.

The entire January 29, 2025 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!

The entire January 29, 2025 edition of AgLife is available online. READ IT HERE!