Trainer Leon MacDonald brings Manhatten Times to Flemington for Winter Championships heat

Melbourne-based jockey Joe Bowditch has the ride on Manhatten Times. Picture Getty Images

A lack of suitable races in Adelaide has forced veteran South Australian trainer Leon MacDonald to head to Melbourne with his consistent galloper Manhatten Times to run in a heat of the Winter Championships at Flemington on Saturday.

MacDonald said he had no other option but to run the lightly raced four-year-old in the VRC Community Plate which is a heat of the championships over 1400 metres.

"We've just got to go to Flemington on Saturday because there are no suitable races back home for Manhatten Times," MacDonald told ACM Racing.

"It's all a bit frustrating. We're taking a big step up in class with the horse on Saturday running in a heat of the Winter Championship. The heats in the championship races are always tough to win and this one is no different and then the final is stronger again."

MacDonald, who trains in partnership with his son-in-law Andrew Gluyas, said Manhatten Times had thrived since his last start win over 1200m on May 13.

"It was a good win last time," he said.

"Manhatten Times hit the line strongly at the end of the 1200m. I can't fault his condition or fitness since his win at Morphettville. We've just kept him fresh with this race in mind. He runs best when his races are spaced. I started looking around for suitable types of races in Adelaide but there's nothing there because his rating is so high. It's disappointing but that's how the races are programmed in South Australia now and in particular in Adelaide. The good thing we've got going for us is Manhatten Times drops 6.5 kilograms in weight from his last run. It's a big weight drop and I reckon he'll appreciate carrying the 54kg. His best runs have been when he is down in the weights and when he's fresh.

"Manhatten Times has only run over the 1400m once previously and that's when he was a three-year-old. He was a bit immature to run that distance at that stage of his career but I think he can run a strong 1400m now as he's furnished into a nice horse. Once you've been a consistent horse like Manhatten Times and you jump up in the ratings like he has you've got to look for races over border or in Melbourne."

MacDonald is no stranger to success in Melbourne having trained numerous big races winners including Rebel Raider to win a VRC Derby and Gold Guru to victory in the Australian Guineas.

"We've had a bit of luck over the years in Melbourne," he said.

"We just don't make the trip to make up the numbers. I would like to think our horses are competitive when we go to Melbourne and I think Manhatten Times will be the same on Saturday. I would say if he runs up to his best we'll be knocking on the door but as I said it's always a tough race. There's no easy races in Melbourne especially when your taking on the top trainers like the Hayes boys, Ciaron Maher, Chris Waller, Anthony and Sam Freedman who all have runners in Saturday's heat of the championships."

MacDonald has called on the services of former Adelaide jockey Joe Bowditch, who is now based in Melbourne, to ride Manhatten Times.

"Joe has had a few rides for our stable when he was riding in Adelaide," he said.

"It was an obvious choice to give Joe a call for the ride on Saturday once we were down in the weights. I think he's an underrated jockey who can match it with the Melbourne based jockeys."

BET365 rates Manhatten Times a $13 chance in the early betting markets on the race.

The MacDonald-Gluyas stable have two runners at Morphettville on Saturday. They saddle up Te Pani in a $45,000 two-year-old race and Rebel Consortium runs in a $41,000 restricted race.

MacDonald said both horses should run well.

"Te Pani should be hard to beat," he said.

"Te Pani is dropping back in class. I thought her run in group 3 company last start was very good while Rebel Consortium was unlucky last time at Gawler. I think both runners will be competitive."

Top Adelaide jockey Jason Holder rides Te Pani and Rebel Consortium.

Meanwhile, Eagle Farm hosts group 1 racing with the running of the $700,000 Queensland Oaks over 2200m. Victoria's leading trainer Ciaron Maher holds a strong hand as he saddles up Affaire A Survre in the classic. John Allen, who rode the filly to win Australasian Oaks at her last start, is her rider on Saturday.