Oliveanotherday faces Caulfield test in Manikato Stakes

Warrnambool trainer Tom Dabernig is eager to return Oliveanotherday to Caulfield for this Sunday's Manikato Stakes. However, the trainer has expressed a slight reservation leading into the four-year-old's maiden Group 1 appearance.

The gelding comes into the $2 million contest off the back of his poorest performance, a fifth in the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality at Flemington on September 12. The primary reason cited for this result was his initial experience with the straight track.

Dabernig has indicated that another factor may have contributed to the outcome, a condition Oliveanotherday might have to contend with once more in this weekend's 1200-metre weight-for-age race.

"I think it was just a case of straight first time and Good 3 track," Dabernig said.

"I'm not totally blaming the Good 3, but I'm sure that he's best runs for me have been on softer going."

He continued, "He's been very good here at Caulfield, so I'm just hoping that back at Caulfield he'll accelerate off the bend and third-up be better than he was second-up."

"He was only beaten 1.6 lengths and the winner came from the inside, the horses in the centre didn't figure too much, so it might have been a combination of things."

"But, I must admit, a Good 3 track would be my concern."

Oliveanotherday has secured six wins from his nine starts, with two of those victories achieved on Good 4 tracks. The Bobbie Lewis Quality represented his debut on a Good 3 surface.

Caulfield, where Oliveanotherday has recorded two wins on the main course and one on the Heath track, was upgraded to a Good 3 during last Saturday's racing. Dabernig is hoping for the predicted showers on Saturday to materialise following warm weather on Thursday and Friday.

While disappointed that Oliveanotherday's five-race winning streak was broken at Flemington, Dabernig is hopeful the run against seasoned sprinters will serve him well before he takes on established Group 1 competitors like Beiwacht, Jimmysstar, and Giga Kick this weekend.

"The winner of that race has win six times down the straight and they're all six and seven-year-olds and we're only a four-year-old and only lightly-raced," Dabernig commented.

"So, we were inexperienced and there were all those other factors there, so when you reflect on it all, there were probably reasons (for the result)."

The final nominations for the Manikato Stakes, alongside other events such as Pride Of Jenni's pursuit of a third consecutive win in the Group 2 Feehan Stakes, are due on Wednesday morning. Get involved with the racing betting markets for this exciting contest.