Bob Manwaring with Capital Gain’s jockey Jim Byrne and son Riley who is a part owner of Capital Gain with Bob.
Zuzao and Ad Valorium combined for local man Bob Manwaring to produce his first Group 1 winning gelding on Saturday in Capital Gain. Interesting names are a part of the fabric of the sport of Kings with ‘Horsey McHorseface’ gaining a cult following in recent weeks. It was no laughing matter on Saturday but a time of elation for Bob and his son Riley after Capital Gain beat the field home at Doomben He said “I actually bought Zuzao as a weanling and while she wasn’t a very good racehorse, she has Vain in the pedigree and I decided to keep her as a broodmare. I’ve given the mare a couple of seasons off but will have her covered again this spring. I chose to send her to Ad Valorem because I like the Danzig over Vain cross and it’s certainly worked this time in producing Capital Gain.” 3 Substantial offers to purchase the gelding by Ad Valoreum came in over the last few weeks and another offer came in on the day of the race. The owners stayed strong and rejected the offers hoping for the fairy tale win and their decision was vindicated when Capital Gain came down the outside to win by half a length in the Group 1 BMW JJ Atkins over 1600 metres.
Bob’s success did not come quickly or easily. He has bred his own thoroughbreds for over 12 years and has installed a lot of infrastructure on his property to accommodate his horses. It has been a passion of his which has resulted in his first Group 1 win after another horse of his, Grand Rosso won two stakes races this year. He said “It’s 20 percent luck and 80 percent hard work.”
Bob and Riley flew out from Canberra on Friday night and returned to Harden on Monday after a very exciting and rewarding weekend. “If he was close enough at the end he was always going to be strong enough. The trainer didn’t think there was anything in the race that could come from behind and beat him. I think he has shown in his last 3 or 4 starts that he needs to be close.” He said, “I tend to keep a part of most of the horses I sell … hopefully the fast ones. Capital Gain was originally offered at the Adelaide Magic Millions but passed in so I decided to try him as a 2YO on the Gold Coast. It’s funny how things work out sometimes. I have shares in a few horses (including another home-bred in dual stakes winner Grande Rosso) and tried to talk one of my trainers into buying Capital Gain as a yearling. He politely declined and then, up on the Coast, I tried another trainer and got a ‘thanks, but no thanks’ from him as well.
“Paul (Butterworth) really liked him though and eventually purchased the colt.” Manwaring works closely with Redbank North also of Harden, he said, “I get my mares foaled down and prepared for sale with the Middleton’s at Redbank North, which is just near my farm and I’ve told them that following the success of Capital Gain and Grande Rosso this year, they’ll have to start paying me to put their brand on my horses,” he added with a laugh. “All jokes aside, they do a fantastic job at Redbank North and, aside from my two, they’ve also either bred or sold Single Gaze, Eckstein, Snitzel Spirit and Mahuta which have all won black type races in the past 12 months or so.”
Bob will be aiming Capital Gain for the Autumn carnival, he will be having a spell during spring. Congratulations.
