Man To Man seen winning at Clairwood early in his career
There was plenty of emotion and drama at a packed Champ de Mars racecourse in Port Louis in Mauritius on Sunday, when a galloper formerly trained by the late Serge Henry, won their biggest race of the season, the Phenix Maiden Cup.
Mauritian training legend Serge ‘Kiki’ Henry passed away at the age of 74 on Tuesday 2 September .
Henry began his training career in 1983.
In saddling the Silvano gelding Man To Man, acting trainer Nathalie Henry thus effectively became the first lady trainer to lead in a winner in the 202 year history of the famous race.
After having won the Supertote Golden Trophy, Man To Man made it a double to give jockey Rye Joorawon his first win in the classic.
The fit and bang in form Man To Man flew from his outside barrier to position himself in second place behind Vettel, and proved the strongest in the home straight to easily shrug off Bulsara’s late challenge.
The late Serge Henry
The pacemaking former Mike De Kock runner Vettel had to be content with the third cheque ahead of Love Struck.
The winner was bred by Maine Chance Farms and is a son of Sivano out of the Woodman mare, Miss Fidelity.
He won 4 races in South Africa when trained by Justin Snaith.
Man To Man has won 3 of his 4 starts on the island.
A sign of the sparkling health of Mauritius horseracing is that for the first time in the history of the Champ de Mars a race meeting comprised ten races.
