Jockey Luke Nolen believes Manighar is a worthy Doomben Cup favourite but has warned the weight-for-age feature remains an open race.
The Peter Moody-trained Manighar is the $2.40 favourite with TAB Sportsbet ahead of Kiwi filly Shez Sinsational at $5 while the Moody-trained Lights Of Heaven is on the third line of betting at $5.50.
Nolen has great respect for Lights Of Heaven who he rode when narrowly beaten by Shez Sinsational in the Group Two Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast on May 5.
He also rates Shez Sinsational a strong chance of repeating her Hollindale triumph and is not dismissing the hopes of Perth’s Scenic Shot who is chasing his third Doomben Cup.
“I’ve been around long enough to know there’s no such thing as an over-the-line proposition as some are saying,” Nolen said.
“I don’t believe in those things even for Black Caviar.”
Nolen hasn’t been on Manighar’s back since the imported stayer completed a hat-trick of Group One wins in the BMW (2400m) at Rosehill on April 7.
Damien Oliver rode the six-year-old, who was formerly trained in England by Luca Cumani, when his Group One winning sequence was ended by More Joyous in last month’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick.
Nolen is happy to be back aboard but is also wary of the horses coming out of the Hollindale.
“It’s an open race with several chances,” Nolen said.
“His stablemate (Lights Of Heaven) is a good horse. Her run in the Hollindale Stakes was very good.
“She was labouring a touch coming to the home turn which allowed Shez Sinsational to skip away from her.
“The other import Mawingo also was a good run in the Hollindale when he wasn’t suited on the wet track and Scenic Shot is also racing well.”
Nolen has never won the Doomben Cup from only a handful of attempts although Moody is chasing his second win following Cinque Cento’s victory in 2007.
Nolen said Manighar had thrived under Moody’s different training methods.
“Peter has got more sharpness into his legs and he’s developed a good turn of foot,” Nolen said.
“Before he was being trained as a stayer and was very dour.”
Manighar has drawn barrier one and Nolen is cautious about being bottled up on the fence.
“He might need a touch of luck from that alley. I don’t want to be caught in on the fence for long,” he said.
Meanwhile Nolen is looking forward to riding Black Caviar on the world stage in England next month.
“I won a race over there a few years ago during the Shergar Cup series and I went over last year to ride Hinchinbrook in the Golden Jubilee but he went amiss a few days before the race,” Nolen said.
“I was away from home for four days and I spent two of them on a plane.”
