Dream Result For Team Manzu In Darwin Cup

MANZU'S victory in Sunday night's Group 3 Ladbrokes Darwin Cup (537m) has so many twists and turns but ultimately the win proved perfect for all those associated with the classy galloper.

The son of Vanderworp-Legit Boss wore down early leader Lucky Lance to win by a length and three-quarters in 31.14 as the $3.10 favourite, with Showdown in third a length and a quarter away.

Manzu, winner now of 17 of his 26 starts for $118,000 in stakes, was bred and is raced and trained in WA by Margaret Hepple.

But, he was taken to Darwin for the Cup carnival by Margaret's granddaughter Tayla Rollings who is an integral part of the training operation back home.

Manzu, winner of the Group 2 WA Derby in 2021, broke down in July last year and needed an operation to take chips out of his stopper.

The Darwin Cup and Manzu!!!
Bloody well done connections pic.twitter.com/iyp0JwsYxt

— RCR Greyhounds (@RCRGREYS) July 31, 2022

It was not until April this year that he returned to the track winning his first five starts back.

“We have to keep on top of the injury all the time,” said a joyous Tayla after the Cup win.

“He's from a litter my Nan bred. We only breed and race our own dogs. It has been a very good litter but most of them have suffered from injuries.”

It wasn't until Manzu won at Cannington on July 9 that Margaret and Tayla finally decided on the Darwin campaign.

“We had to see how he came through that race before committing him to the trip away,” said Tayla, 23.

“We purposely brought him to Darwin early to allow him to settle in, trial him and keep him sound and fit.”

Tayla had a bit of local help doing just that.

“My aunty and uncle Deb and Brad welcomed us,” said Tayla. “I stayed out the back of my aunty's home with the dog and slept on a fold out bed every night so he would be settled.

“It was easy for me to just reach out and pat him in his kennel if he became unsettled at night.”

Deb and Brad foster five children under 10 and all five were at Winnelli Park dressed in Manzu shirts to cheer him home.

“They were long past their bed time by the time the Cup was run, but they were all so excited he won,” said Tayla. “Three of the kids are foster kids from NT and the other two are adopted from Taiwan.”

Back at Cannington, right at the time the Darwin Cup was being run and won, Margaret Hepple was having Manzu's classy litter brother Valachi swabbed after he won.

“Amazingly,” said Tayla. “Valachi was box seven, race seven at Cannington and he won, and Manzu was box seven, race seven at Darwin and he won.”

Tayla is a committed greyhound fantatic.

She works with her Nan's team but also helps Chris Halse and Linda Britton on race nights with their large team of dogs.

“I've handled some really great dogs with Chris and Linda,” she said.

Tayla owns one of Manzu's litter sisters and she already has semen for champion US dog, and Irish and Aussie stud success Kinloch Brae to use on the bitch.

Manzu will head back to WA mid-week with the heats of the Nationals at the weekend his target.

Tayla was full of praise for Tim Mullany and the help he gave her with Manzu.

“He checked him out, helped gallop him, and pointed me in the direction of the beach to walk him in the water to keep the stopper right,” said Tayla.