Three weeks ago, Mitchell Beer feared the racing career of Mnementh might be over.
Instead, the tenacious gelding has delivered the young trainer his first stakes win since his relocation to Kembla Grange last year.
Beer had high hopes for the sprinter in the Luskin Star Stakes at Scone last start but the horse finished down the track after losing two shoes mid-race and pulling up the worse for wear.
“Driving home from Scone, I thought he was just about finished,” Beer said.
“He’d pulled both his front shoes off and he was pretty average.
“We’ve struggled with his feet and I said to a few of the boys, ‘that might be it,’ so to be here three weeks later winning a Listed race is a credit to everyone involved in him.
“I just can’t tell you how good a horse he’s been for me. He is just a ripper.”
Beer, who moved to Kembla late last year, was training in the NSW border town of Albury when he first spied Mnementh as a young horse.
Unable to afford him, he brokered a deal with the horse’s breeders and his faith has been rewarded, Saturday’s Listed Bob Charley AO Stakes (1100m) the horse’s eleventh win from 34 starts.
“He’s not well bred. We got him on a deal. I couldn’t afford to buy him as a yearling and the stud gave him to me, thanks to them,” Beer said.
“These guys (owners), a lot of them are Albury-based and have supported me with my move there and have continued to support me since we’ve moved to Kembla. Thanks to them, I wouldn’t be training without them.
“To the vets, the farriers, the whole team. I can’t tell you how much work he is, but he’s worth it.”
Mnementh’s win was also a triumph for jockey Alysha Collett, who a week ago was unable to see after being struck in the eye by a clod of mud in a race at Rosehill.
After visiting an eye specialist, she was assured she would overcome the issue in time to be back in the saddle at Randwick on Saturday, but admitted the week off riding almost came back to haunt her.
“When I went to the surgeon this week, they said you should be fine by Friday,” Collett said.
“I did think at the fifty (metres) that my week in the paddock might affect me, but it didn’t.
“I presented a little earlier than I would have wanted to but the other one (runner-up Iowna Merc) had me flat-footed at the 200 metres.
“This old horse loves his work and he really went to ‘war’.”
Relishing the heavy track conditions, Mnementh ($18) pulled out plenty when challenged to score by three-quarters of a length over Iowna Merc ($3.10 betting app fav) with Semillion ($4.40) a further 1-1/4 lengths away third.
Beer was unsure of immediate plans for the winner but said he would look at races in Queensland and possibly the Ramornie Handicap at Grafton in July, pending the weather.
“I had him nominated for a couple of races in Queensland, but we will just chase the rain. Wherever it’s heavy is where he goes,” Beer said.