RAIN KEY TO MNEMENTH’S QUEENSLAND PROSPECTS

MITCH Beer is banking on forecast rain arriving for Mnementh’s border-hopping mission at Toowoomba on Saturday night.

The Kembla Grange trainer sent his heavy track marvel north on Wednesday night for a first-up crack at Toowoomba’s feature sprint, the $160,000 Listed Weetwood Handicap (1200m).

He has booked Andrew Mallyon to ride the eight-year-old gelding, who hasn’t raced since landing the Listed Bob Charley AO Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on June 8 on a ‘Heavy 9’ surface.

Mnementh has won 11 of his 34 starts, and is unbeaten in three of them on heavy ground.

“Mnementh was floated to the Gold Coast overnight, and will go to Toowoomba on Saturday afternoon,” Beer said on Thursday morning.

“The forecast is for 20mm of rain at Toowoomba on Friday, and that’s basically why we sent him to Queensland.

“Mnementh is in great order, and the weather will determine his chances in the Weetwood.

“He has had feet issues right through, and they caught up with him after he won the Listed race at Randwick in June.

“He has hardly been to the track since coming back into training, and does most of his work at the beach.

“Mnementh also had a nice tick-over trial (1050m) at Randwick on September 9, and has won first-up before.

“The Weetwood looks an ideal race for him, especially as 1200m is his perfect trip (nine of his 11 victories have been at the distance).

“All we want is the rain to come.”

Mnementh is the only NSW provincial-trained horse in either the Weetwood or Towoomba Cup (2000m).

Whilst Beer sent Mnementh to Queensland, he was also planning going in the other direction with new acquisition Alicia Roma.

However, he has chosen not to run her in the opening heat of the 55 Second Challenge (955m) at The Valley on Friday night.

“She drew awkwardly with the rail out a few metres, so we decided to stay at home,” Beer said.

“Most likely Alicia Roma will have her first start for us at the Monday public holiday meeting at Warwick Farm on October 7.”

Alicia Roma joined Beer’s stable after being purchased online for $13,000.

The now six-year-old mare was originally trained at Gosford by Angela Davies (who prepared her for all five wins to date), and then went to Peter and Paul Snowden at Randwick for four unsuccessful starts (three of them in Victoria).

“Alicia Roma was beaten nearly 20 lengths at her last start at Randwick in July when resuming, and that probably put a lot of people off buying her,” Beer said.

“But that was on a ‘Soft 7’, and four of her five wins have been on good ground.

“Alicia Roma won a 1000m trial at Hawkesbury on September 17 (crack three-year-old Broadsiding was runner-up), and I’m pretty confident we will have no trouble getting her purchase price back.”

Story John Curtis, September 26, 2024 - Pics Bradley Photos