Albany jockey Tash Faithfull confident Manavendra can bounce back to win Albany Community Cup on Easter Sunday

Albany jockey Tash Faithfull is confident she can win a second Wellington and Reeves Community Albany Cup aboard Manavendra on Sunday. Faithfull claimed her hometown staying feature race for the first time in 2023 on Said No One Ever and was fifth aboard Sluice Box in last year’s event. The champion jockey in the Great Southern for the past three seasons, Faithfull is chasing more Easter Sunday glory. Faithfull enters Sunday’s meeting at Percy Spencer Racecourse in red-hot form, having ridden four winners in Geraldton on Sunday. That came on the back of a Saturday win at Ascot on Sinful Living and a double in Narrogin last Thursday. The Daniel and Ben Pearce-trained Manavendra will be one of the favourites in this year’s $125,000 Wellington and Reeves Community Albany Cup (2100m) but will have to overcome a wide draw and a disappointing Geraldton Cup performance last start. Despite that Faithfull believes she is firmly on a winning chance in the big race. “I’m not worried about the wide draw actually sort of relieved because the way he races I can just drop the hands and just try and get back and get back into a position,” she said. “The Geraldton Cup they walked a little bit, he just over raced and couldn’t finish off but Ben (Pearce) has put a bit of a gear change, some earmuffs on him and a pulling bit and took the winkers off him so done a bit of work to get him to settle to try and get back that good turn foot that he had two starts ago in Albany.” Manavendra was unplaced at his first three runs this campaign before a dominant two-length win in Albany over 1920m with 58.5kg on March 27. However the gelding never travelled well in the Geraldton Cup on April 6, finishing last of the 11 runners beaten more than 11 lengths. Faithfull said a strong tempo in the race and her mount settling well will be key parts to his winning chances on Sunday. “If he races to his best I think he’s a really good chance in the race,” Faithfull said. “I know there’s a couple horses that go very well as well in the race but I think on his best he’ll be right in it.” Manavendra won last year’s Esperance Cup and then finished fourth behind Currimundi in the Albany Cup. They will jump from barrier 16 with 55.5kg in this year’s edition of the feature. Fat Roy Slim for trainer Brock Lewthwaite is the top weight in the race with 60kg, having finished third in the Geraldton Cup. Geraldton Cup winner Bambun Boy is also engaged for trainer Susan Olive and jockey Brandon Louis. The Brandon Fiore-prepared Filthy Habits has been freshened up for the cup and hoop Lucy Fiore will ride with 59.5kg. Runner-up in last year’s Albany Cup, Duchees Demerit will start on Sunday for trainer Paul Roberts after a last start third over 2100m in Albany. The winner of that race Pure Chino will be one of the strong local hopes in the race, the Indianna Weinert-trained mare gets in with the minimum 55kg from barrier four. What A Prince (Ashleigh Woollett), Alberich (Paul Hunter), Annihilator (Jonathon Jachmann) and Deadly And Fast (Alan Smith) are the other Albany runners in the race. Adam Durrant will chase an eighth Albany Cup when he saddles up Queen Of Jerusalem.