The plum autumn ride on Manawanui could be up for grabs if trainer Ron Leemon sticks to his original plan to run in the Royal Sovereign Stakes.
Leemon said Manawanui’s owners were keen to have a rider who could commit to the three-year-old for the entirety of his campaign.
Glyn Schofield has partnered the Golden Rose winner in all but one of his nine starts but as the regular rider of gun sprinter Hay List, Schofield could face a dilemma.
Manawanui is slated to resume in the Royal Sovereign Stakes (1200m) at Warwick Farm on February 18, the same day Hay List is set to tackle the Group One Lightning Stakes at Flemington.
If the pair’s schedules clash and Schofield opts to ride Hay List, it may jeopardise his chances of getting back aboard Manawanui.
“The owners are fully aware of the situation and it would be their choice,” Leemon said.
“The majority of them want someone to ride the horse through the whole preparation. They don’t want a saddle warmer.”
Leemon discussed the issue with Schofield after the jockey worked Manawanui on Tuesday.
It was agreed connections would consider the Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday week as an alternative to the Royal Sovereign.
However, a final decision on which race Manawanui resumes in won’t be made until next week.
“I’ve decided I’ll throw a nomination in for the Expressway as a possible way out of the dilemma,” Leemon said.
“Obviously Glyn doesn’t want to lose the ride on either horse.
“After Manawanui trials next week (Tuesday) and the noms come out on Monday I will sit down and have a look.
“If I think the Expressway is not an overly hard race then we may go that way.”
However, Leemon stressed he would choose a kick-off race that best suited Manawanui.
“If I don’t think the race (Expressway) is suitable then we will be going around on the 18th and Glyn has a problem,” Leemon said.
“Does he go for the young horse or the older horse?”
Schofield, who rode the John McNair-trained Hay List in work on Wednesday morning, is remaining optimistic he won’t have to make a decision between the high-class pair.
“It seems there’s another race (Expressway), I’ve just got to wait and see where the two horses go,” Schofield said from Kembla Grange on Wednesday.
“There’s a long way to go yet but from my perspective both are lining up towards their races in good shape.
“Of course, its not going to be an easy decision if there is a clash.
“We will cross that bridge if we come to it.”
AAP TURF
