Trainer Tony Vasil says he is feeling his way through awkward race programming with True Tales who will contest the Listed Chester Manifold Stakes at Flemington.The four-year-old will be having his second start in a Listed race in less than a month but Vasil said he's had little option because of a lack a "normal" handicaps."He would be better placed in a normal handicap but the Manifold is the only 1400 metre race around," Vasil said.He said he only ran True Tales in the Listed Christmas Stakes
Trainer Tony Vasil says he is feeling his way through awkward race programming with True Tales who will contest the Listed Chester Manifold Stakes at Flemington.
The four-year-old will be having his second start in a Listed race in less than a month but Vasil said he's had little option because of a lack a "normal" handicaps.
"He would be better placed in a normal handicap but the Manifold is the only 1400 metre race around," Vasil said.
He said he only ran True Tales in the Listed Christmas Stakes (1200m) because he couldn't find a 1400 metre Handicap for him.
"Really he wanted 1400 metres last start but there wasn't one programmed and this week one is programmed and it's a stakes race."
A winner of six of his 14 starts, True Tales dropped back from 1400 to 1200 metres but was competitive in the Christmas Stakes, doing his best work from back in the field in the last 150 metres to finish sixth to Here De Angels.
For most of his career True Tales has raced with a nose roll but Vasil has taken it off for the Manifold and added winkers to his gear.
"We put the nose roll on him because early on he got a bit keen in his races and would get his head in the air but he doesn't seem to be doing that now so we have made the change.
"We could have put blinkers on him on Saturday but I thought they might fire him up a bit too much so we have gone halfway with the winkers.
"The changes might help him so we will sit back and see what he does."
TAB Sportsbet has True Tales safe at $7.50 with only Christmas Stakes third placegetter Time Matters ($4.50) and Ship In The Night ($6.50) ahead of him.
Craig Newitt is the eighth jockey change in consecutive runs for True Tales who was ridden by Brent Evans at his most recent start.
Vasil said the son of Tale Of the Cat would be on trial for Hobart's Listed Thomas Lyons Stakes (1400m) at weight-for-age on February 8.
"It is an option for him as you wouldn't think it would be a strong field," Vasil said.
Vasil won the Chester Manifold three years ago with Lucky Unicorn who was ridden by Damien Oliver.
Oliver was to have ridden Time Matters on Saturday but has forfeited the ride and three other mounts on Apprehend, Cabazon and Growl to be with his mother, Pat, who was injured in a fatal car accident in Perth on Tuesday.