Ron Leemon has left no stone unturned in his efforts to get Manawanui back to the races only to have the weather intervene.
The six-year-old makes his return in Saturday’s Bill Ritchie Handicap a week later than planned, ruling out a second-up tilt at a Group One early in his campaign.
But his trainer will be happy just to see Manawanui get through his Randwick assignment in one piece when he has his first start for almost a year.
Various injuries and a bleeding attack have restricted Manawanui’s career since his finest moments in the spring of his three-year-old season when he won four stakes races including the Group One Golden Rose.
Because of Sydney’s recent wet weather, Manawanui missed a planned barrier trial and a raceday gallop which ruled him out of last week’s Theo Marks Stakes.
He won a 1030-metre barrier trial at Rosehill on Tuesday and all has gone well since.
“He has had an easy week since the trial and all has gone well,” Leemon said.
“It has changed things a bit because I wanted to run him in the Theo Mark and then the Rupert Clarke on Sunday week but that’s out of the question now.
“We’ll see how he gets through his first race and make new plans after that.”
Leemon is keeping a lid on his expectations for the Bill Ritchie in which Manawanui is the $15 outsider in a compact market for the seven-horse field.
“The one thing he lacks after so long off is race practice,” he said.
“It’s all very well to gallop him and trial him but nothing beats racing.
“I hope to see him hitting the line and we’ll go from there.”
The Joe Pride-trained Rock Sturdy is the $2.20 favourite for the Bill Ritchie with the winner exempt from ballot on the Epsom Handicap two weeks later.
Manawanui is not entered for the Epsom but five of his six opponents are nominated for the Group One mile.
