3 minute read

Gary Vile is chasing a second Gr.3 Manawatu Cup title with a trimmed down Ransomed on Saturday and he has also taken out extra insurance on his home town feature.

The Awapuni trainer will mount a three-strong assault on the Hotel Coachman-sponsored event with Anniesstar and Dragon Beauty to be given their chances at the 2300 metre race.

Vile believes that Ransomed is back to the form that won him the cup of 2012 and the Gr.1 Spring Classic at Hastings the following year.

More recently, the gelding was a close-up sprint seventh two starts back and a hard-finishing third last Saturday in the cup prelude.

“He’s looking like the Ransomed of old and his last two efforts have been very encouraging,” Vile said.

“He wasn’t 100 per cent on the track last weekend and, given the right conditions this Saturday, I would expect him to be hard to beat.

“I couldn’t get the condition off him in the spring and he struck a hard track, through no-one’s fault, in the Spring Classic and he wouldn’t let down. He’s a lot lighter now and I’m happy with him.”

A bold showing on Saturday will confirm a tilt at next month’s Gr.2 Platinum Homes Wellington Cup.

Anniesstar and Dragon Beauty finished seventh and sixth respectively in the Cup Prelude last weekend and Vile is predicting improved performances.

“I was pleased enough with Anniesstar’s run the other day,” he said. “She had a decent blow afterwards and you’ll see a different mare on Saturday.

“I’ll be putting the blinkers on Dragon Beauty to sharpen her up. Rosie (Myers) thought she should have run third before she started lugging.”

Both mares have good home track records with Anniesstar a three-time winner there, including last month’s Listed Feilding Cup, while four of Dragon Beauty’s five career wins have been at Awapuni.