Country stalwart Hanover Square with plenty left in the tank

By Jordan Gerrans

Still going as good as ever, bush racing stalwart Hanover Square is now aiming to add a Country Stampede crown to his already impressive resume.

The Manhattan Rain gelding has been targeted towards Country Cup Challenge qualifiers of late but has been freshened up in recent weeks and will now look towards the Stampede qualifier in Chinchilla this Saturday.

The Leonard Mawn-trained eight-year-old has been a star of regional racing in Queensland over the last few years, winning the 2019 edition of the Battle of the Bush as well as being beaten in a photo-finish for the 2019 Cleveland Bay Handicap at Cluden Park.

Hanover Square has gone through a number of trainers in recent years and is now back in the stable of his original Queensland-based trainer and part-owner Mawn.

With almost $260,000 in prize money in the bank, the bay gelding has battled a foot issue over the last year but Mawn believes there is still good racing left in his stable star.

“He is a beauty,” Mawn, who goes by the name Michael socially instead of Leonard, said.

“Even this preparation, he has been absolutely flying until he got that stone bruise.

“When he does finish up, I will ensure he will go to a good home or he will stay with us forever, he will not just be going anywhere – I know that.

“He is going as good as he has ever went, he has just had that foot issue.”

Hanover Square wrote his named into the record books back in 2019, claiming the BOTB Final at Eagle Farm at big odds under hoop Michael Cahill.

Trainer Bevan Johnson, now based at Moranbah, had Hanover Square in his care for just a few weeks, winning a BOTB qualifier at Barcaldine with the gelding before getting the prize in town.

He also won a race in Brisbane when with Rockhampton trainer John Wigginton in late 2019.

Mawn trained the nine-time career winner before and after the BOTB Final, with the gelding going to Johnson for that period with Mawn busy with work commitments.

Having won up to 1470 metres in his career, Mawn is unsure how he will be suited to 1030 metres on his current home track on Saturday afternoon but expects him to be running on late.

“He is more of a miler and we had him set for the Country Cups Challenge but he got that stone bruise and he has missed 12-14 days of work,” he said.

“We thought dropping him back to the Country Stampede distance would suit him better as he has missed some work.

“He has had a chequered past and he can win over 1000 metres fresh.

“It is not beyond him; he will not be stopping late as he loves being fresh.”

Hoop Gemma Steele, who collected a winning treble at Gympie last month, retains the ride of Hanover Square on Saturday after being his partner in each of his last four trips to the races.

Hanover Square has only won once from his last 15 starts, which includes six minor placings, with Mawn declaring he would have collected several more victories if not for his nagging foot concerns, which may eventually lead to his retirement in the future.

“He has had a number of issues with his feet, we thought it was right and then he suffered another injury around it,” Mawn said.

“He has had a stone bruise recently so he has been out for the last three or four weeks.

“He has had a tremendous unlucky run.

“He is sound but he has just had the issue with the foot for 14 months or so now.”

The Mawn stable has six gallopers in work and has already recorded their best tally for most winners this season across their last four campaigns with plenty of time left in 2021-22 season.

“We have been having a really good run of late, it has been really good,” he said.

Also in the Chinchilla Country Stampede qualifier, leading heavyweight jockey Paul Hamblin expects the Sears-trained Piracy to be competitive under a big weight from the inside barrier.

Already having already claimed a qualifier for the Final, Piracy has won two of his last three – victories coming at Dalby and Tara – as he builds up his non-TAB starts to be eligible for the Stampede Final.

Elsewhere around the state this weekend, Cooktown will also hold a Stampede qualifier while Country Cups Challenge heats will be hosted at Moranbah and Cooktown.

Stampede and Country Cups Challenge Finals will be run at Doomben in early December.