Manzelmann Eyes Cup Tilt with Comeback Galloper

Country racing Hall of Fame trainer John Manzelmann will set exciting comeback galloper Siberian Route for the northern cups after the gelding cruised to a classy win at Cluden Park on Friday.

Manzelmann, a four time winner of the Townsville Cup, has this year’s carnivals in his sights after the once written-off six-year-old’s easy win in the Carlton & United Breweries Cl6 Plate (1400m) for leading jockey Justin Stanley.

“I think he’ll get over a bit of ground. I said to Judder (Stanley) today ‘do you reckon this horse could win a cup’ and he said spot on,” Manzelmann said.

“He just settles so beautifully. He puts himself there and settles, he doesn’t over race and then he can let down.

“It was a big step up going from 1100m to 1600m in Rocky last week and it was bloody big effort to win, especially on a 9 wet track.

“Then he’s dropped back a couple of hundred (metres) this week.

“I reckon he’s a nice horse for us to try and add to the cup list.”

Siberian Route and has now won four of his six career starts, but his journey from the Tony and Calvin McEvoy stable to the north for his owner, Mackay grazier Ian Michelmore, is an extraordinary story.

The beautifully bred Hinchinbrook gelding fractured a knee and was retired after winning one of two starts in South Australia in early 2021.

With his racing days seemingly over, he was brought home to the Michelmore’s property to enjoy retirement but after a lengthy break was given a second chance at the track.

“He’d broken his knee with the McEvoys and they’d retired him,” Manzelmann said.

“The owner Ian Mitchelmore, who’s here today, brought him home and he said he saw the horse galloping around the paddock one day and thought bugger it we’ll put him back into work.

“So we went through all the rigmarole - we had to get a specialist report before we trialled him twice, then another specialist report - to pass him to race again.

“He had the big break and it’s all healed perfectly.

“I’m pretty excited about him. Ian’s coming to pick him up this week and he’s going to give him a month off, and I think we’ll have a nice carnival horse.”

Siberian Route’s win was the first leg of a winner double for Stanley who later won the Brown Brothers Mdn Hcp (1000m) on the heavily backed Minokawa for trainer Clinton Taylor.

Heavyweight jockey Ashley Butler battled the effects of the humid conditions to land a winning double of his own aboard Kick On Command for Taylor, and Xtrayya in the Class 1 Hcp (1000m) for Townsville trainer Tony Comerford.

The Steven Royes-trained Count Of Carford and Enuff Gold capped a big day for favourite backers with popular wins.

Enuff Gold provided heavyweight jockey Carl Spry with his 10th winner in as many race meetings.

Pictured: Trainer John Manzelmann and the connections of Siberian Route after his impressive win in the Carlton & United Breweries Cl6 Plate (1400m) on Friday.

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