The best race won by her former stable star has emerged as a target for the Joan Pracey-trained Asked To Leave.
Asked To Leave ended a run of holiday weekend favourites winning in Sydney when he broke maiden ranks in the TAB More Than Winning Handicap at Warwick Farm on Monday.
Now Pracey is hoping to play a small role in the Victorian spring carnival for the second time in four years as she aims Asked To Leave towards a $100,000 sales-supported race during a provincial cup meeting later this month.
“There’s a race at Sale I won with Upstacker a few years ago that I would like to win again with this horse,” Pracey said.
“He is exactly the same type of horse as Upstacker – a real trier. So it’s only right we try to win the same race.”
Asked To Leave ($15) made the running for Jay Ford to defeat the favourite Lieder ($2.50) by 1-1/4 lengths.
The win came as a welcome relief for Sydney bookmakers after eight out of nine Epsom Handicap day favourites won on Saturday.
It won’t be long before the Bede Murray-trained mare Fine Mist is given another chance to win at stakes level.
Taking on a field of sharp sprinters in the Pro-Ride Flying Handicap, Fine Mist overcame a tardy start to settle fourth before making her run down the centre of the track.
Fine Mist was well-tried as a $3.80 chance and she overhauled the favourite Diamond Oasis ($2.15) at the 100m before beating Onemorezeta ($8) by a length.
“There are better things ahead for,” Murray said.
“Probably more in the autumn but she’ll go to the Nivison now and we’ll think about anything else for the spring after that.”
Carrying a $125,000 purse, The Nivison is a Group Three race for mares at Randwick on October 17.
Trainer Joe Pride is also certain Mr Manhattan can figure in more important races than a benchmark event after responded to a change in riding tactics.
Mr Manhattan has been a noted leader in most of his five starts leading into Monday but Pride wanted Hugh Bowman to ride the four-year-old in a conservative manner.
The switch worked better than Pride could have hoped as Mr Manhattan sat worse than midfield in a fast-run race before finishing full of running.
“I’m pretty sure he’ll make a stakes horse but there’s no rush to get him there because he’s a gelding,” Pride said.
