Million-dollar earner Burning Front is winless so far this season but the Darren Weir stable believes that could change in the Chester Manifold Stakes.
Burning Front has netted more than $1.3 million prize money from his 58 starts, with 18 wins and another 20 placings, but he has only figured in the top three in two of his seven starts this season.
The seven-year-old gelding is one of four Weir-trained runners accepted for Saturday’s Listed Chester Manifold (1400m) at Flemington and he will carry equal top weight of 60.5kg.
“I think Burning Front might bounce back in that race,” Weir’s representative Jarrod McLean said.
“I reckon Brad Rawiller back on is a key to him, and he galloped really well on Monday morning at Warrnambool.”
Rawiller has not ridden Burning Front in his past two starts when the gelding finished third as favourite in the VOBIS Gold Bullion at Pakenham on December 9 and fifth behind in-form stablemate Ozi Choice at Sandown on December 30 over 1400m.
Rawiller has 11 wins and six placings on Burning Front from 21 rides but a second in the Moonga Stakes in the spring is their best result in combination from three attempts this season.
“I thought Pakenham was D-day for him, and obviously he failed that day,” McLean said.
“But the way he worked on Monday morning suggests he’s back on track.”
Burning Front was at $10 in the field of 11 on Thursday with the Tony McEvoy-trained Dollar For Dollar favourite at $3.40.
Five-year-old Dollar For Dollar will be shooting for his fifth-straight win when he returns for his first start since mid-November.
Weir also has Goldstream and Royal Rapture in the race while Nikitas could also line up if he does not manage to get on a flight to Queensland on Thursday night for Saturday’s Magic Millions Cup at the Gold Coast.
