By Duane Ranger (Courtesy of Redcliffe Paceway)
Hatton Vale trainer, Trent Hodges, achieved a personal milestone at Redcliffe Paceway last week, and now he wants to go one better this Wednesday night.
Seven days after training Manoflisa to win three consecutive races, the 31-year-old is now looking for a personal best four-straight victories from the Modern Art – Lisa Leslie gelding.
He has drawn nine (of nine) in race six (8.22pm), again at Redcliffe.
“Three is my best, and I thought that was pretty good for a part-time trainer, but four in a row would be unreal. I’m not going to say it’s going to happen, because I never tell people what I don’t know.
“I think he’s capable of winning, but it’s racing and nothing is ever clear-cut. He has worked well and the grade still suits him (NR41-46), but anything over 50 seems to trouble him. Hopefully when he gets there he will kick on because he’s now going the best he ever has,” said Hodges who lives in Dakabin.
“I like the grading system because it means horses like Manoflisa can win more races when they drop back,” he added.
Manoflisa should take some beating again at ‘The Triangle’ on Wednesday night after winning by 19.1 metres, six metres, then 3.3m at Redcliffe (March 17), Albion Park (March 23), and Redcliffe (31 March).
In all three of those wins, Manoflisa sat parked and then kicked away to win.
“He toughs it out and that pleases me, especially that last win, which was over the 2,040m mobile. He reverts back to the 1,780 metres on Wednesday. Him and Fortyfive Rock are the most tightly assessed horses in the field, and he has drawn eight.
“It should be a good race. I’d love to win four straight with him but like I said earlier there’s no certainties in this game,” Hodges stressed.
The tough 10-year-old was the $1.95 favourite when drawing barrier six over the 1,780m mobile at Redcliffe a fortnight ago. He then repeated the dose from gate seven at Albion Park when a $2 favourite over the 1.660m mobile. That was his first win in the city.
Last Wednesday he drew eight and was the $1.75 favourite. He recorded a 2:03.6 mile rate that night – 6.4 seconds better than his personal best time of 1:57.2 when winning at Newcastle back on November 8, 2014. He was trained by Cameron Davies at the time.
“My Uncle Kevin Annetts got him in March 2018. He’d won seven races when we got him. He’s now won 19.
Manoflisa has also placed 30 times from a whopping 196 starts.
Hodges insists that any victories that are recorded in his name are because of his family. He works part-time for his grandfather, Norman Annetts at Hatton Vale, but his main job is a sheet metal fabricator.
“I took a break from the game for a while and am now back enjoying it part-time. Noel does all the fast-work. Kevin and I do all the driving, and we put Trent on when we have a couple in the race,” said Hodges who has trained 31 winners (four this season) since January 2009, and driven 28 since taking out his drivers’ licence in September 2006.
The ‘Trent’ that Hodges was referring to was Trent Moffat, the reinsman who has driven Manoflisa to his last three wins. He will sit in behind him again this week.
Moffat said he was enjoy riding the crest of a wave with the veteran pacer.
“He’s a nice horse and performs really well under the NR50 grade. He’s handicapped well now, and even though I have driven a horse to four wins in a row a long time ago, I’m looking forward to Wednesday’s race. I wish Trent and his family all the best.
“Even though he can tough it out in the open, he’s actually better with a sit. He’s one of my better drives at the moment and I really hope he can go four-straight. He deserves to because the family does a great job and I’m grateful to them all for the drive behind him,” Moffat said.
Hodges agreed, insisting the wins would not have come about had it not been for his family.
“Trent does a good job and that’s why we left him on the horse. I’m still working my main job, but wouldn’t be the trainer I am now without my grandfather, and Uncles (Noel Parrish & Kevin Annetts) support. They help me a lot.
“I’ve been involved since my Mini Pony Trot days. I grew up going to Shows and watching harness racing. I had my first pony trotter when I was two, and got into mini-trot driving when I was six.
“It’s in my blood,” the former Forest Lake State High School student said.
Hodges works a team of eight and said Manoflisa was currently the top seed.
“He’s the one in form at the moment, but I’ve also got a bit of time for Writeaboutchelsea, who has won 15 races and is nominated for Wednesday’s meeting as well,” he said.
In fact, Hodges has five stable runners lining up on Wednesday.
Hodges drives Artistic Humma (3) in race seven (8.54pm) and then Writeaboutchelsea (8) in race eight (9.25pm).
Uncle Noel (Parrish) will steer Milwaukee Sunrise (4) in the same race (R8), and then half an hour later Parrish will also drive Star Of Wonder (2) in race nine (9.53pm).
“Even though he’s no certainty, I think Manoflisa is still my best winning prospect on the night,” Hodges said.
