The only live colt sired by Kementari, Manwe has kept his Golden Rose dream alive with an impressive debut win at Canterbury.
Kementari was retired to stud in 2019 amid much fanfare but proved to be almost completely infertile, producing just a few foals from more than 50 matings, prompting Godolphin to geld him and send him back to the races.
Only two of his foals survived and trainer Anthony Cummings was pleased he secured one of them after Manwe led throughout to win the Paulele @ Darley Handicap (1200m) on Wednesday.
“I think he had four foals, two of them survived, a colt and a filly and I bought the colt,” Cummings said.
“I paid a couple of hundred grand for him at the Magic Millions a couple of years ago and that’s looking a bit clever right now.
“He’s been a pretty nice horse from the get-go.
“He was a bit backward as a yearling but he grew into what he looked like he should and every time he’s come in, he has improved with every gallop, every trial.”
Manwe snuck under the guard of punters, starting at $12 and holding Dimitrov ($5.50) at bay by a length with Ceolwulf ($19) third.
Cummings nominated the Group 3 Up And Coming Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on Saturday week as Manwe’s next potential target as he tests the waters for even bigger races.
“In ten days’ time there’s that race, then two weeks from there into The Run To The Rose,” Cummings said.
“I want to run him in The Run To The Rose and that will show us whether we should be going to the Golden Rose, or other places.
“He’s got a pretty good future I think.”
Manwe was ridden by Jason Collett, who made it a clean sweep of the first two races when he partnered Untouchable Legend to a come-from-behind win for Team Hawkes in the TAB Handicap (1200m).
It was the filly’s first win in four starts but co-trainer Michael Hawkes doesn’t expect it to be her last.
“The part I loved the most was she attacked the line,” Hawkes said.
“It’s onwards and upwards now but she is definitely going somewhere.”
