Goolwa trainer David Jolly is buoyant after Behemoth drew barrier 16 in Friday night’s $2m Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley.
The three-time Group 1 winner will jump from 13 if the four emergencies fail to gain a start in what will be his first Melbourne run since the C F Orr Stakes at Caulfield back in February.
“I wanted to draw somewhere from the middle to out (wide),’’ Jolly said.
“Obviously, he’s drawn very wide, but I’d prefer to be there then anywhere near the inside.
“He’ll load late which is ideal.
“I think if anything it’s all going to come down to how the track is racing. We’ve seen over the past couple of meetings at the Valley that the track has played quite leaderish, so the pattern is going to be the key to his chances,’’ he said.
Behemoth has endured an indifferent 2022 spring after he almost lost his rider at the start in the Listed Lightning Stakes before running sixth behind Shamino in the Listed W H Wylie Stakes and Jolly said the addition of the blinkers appeared to have sparked the horse up.
“He zipped around them and went quite well in the Morphettville in his trial and then worked well in the blinkers again last week,’’ Jolly said.
“I’m really happy with him. It’s a mad race, a big field, he’s just going to need a few things to go his way,’’ he said.
Jolly is also set to accept at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day with promising sprinter Streetcar Stranger over 1000m with Paul Gatt set to make the trip to Melbourne to ride the horse.
“Hopefully, he can draw a decent barrier and it doesn’t get too wet,’’ Jolly said.
“Gatty gets on well with him, he’s a bit of an acquired taste the horse and they get along well,’’ he said.
