Anthony Cummings has big plans for Manwe after the striking colt made a winning career debut over 1200m at Canterbury on Wednesday to credit his charismatic sire Kementari with his first winner.
With Jason Collett in the saddle, Manwe led at every call under Jason Collett to defeat the I Am Invincible colt Dimitrov by a length, with the Tavistock colt Ceolwulf a neck back in third.
The win came as no shock to Cummings.
“I got pretty much what I expected,” Cummings said.
“He’s been a nice horse from the get-go.
“He was a bit backward as a yearling but grew into what he looked like he should. He has improved with every gallop and every trial.
“He has a big plan in front of him. In a perfect world, he will finish up in a Golden Rose.
“It was a high-quality race today with depth to it. I don’t think he is a natural leader, which speaks well of him.
“I think Kementari had only four foals, and two of them survived, a colt and a filly.
“I bought the colt for a couple of hundred grand at the Gold Coast a couple of years ago, which is looking a bit clever now.
Consigned by Toolooganvale Farm to the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Manwe was a $200,000 purchase for his trainer.
He is the first winner from three to race from the winning Bernardini (USA) mare With Care, which hails from the family of Payroll (Not A Single Doubt) and Arbeitsam (Snitzel).
A $26,000 purchase for Avesta Bloodstock at the 2020 National Broodmare Sale, With Care has a 2yo colt by Brutal named Aged Care in the stable of Kris Lees.
After foaling an Anders colt last spring, With Care was covered by King’s Legacy.
Following his well-publicized fertility problems, Kemertari was gelded and returned to training after his lone season at Darley Stud in 2019.
Among the best of his generation at three when the winner of the ATC Royal Randwick Guineas and placed a further five times at the elite level, Kementari made a successful return to the track, starting an additional 30 times before retiring after finishing unplaced in the Group 1 Goodwood in May. His final record stands at eight wins, six seconds and eight from 49 starts, with earnings of $4,791,625.
The only other named foal for the son of Lonhro is the Chris Waller-trained filly La Seule, which has made two unplaced starts in the colours of Star Thoroughbreds.
