This 'Man' looking to win it for all the girls

MAN From Braavos fought on bravely to win the fifth heat and earn a spot in Friday night’s $40,000 Multiquip Golden Guitar Final at Tamworth.

The race will form part of the Carnival of Cups Finals night at Tamworth Paceway, which will wrap up the Tamworth HRC January racing carnival.

Trained at Maitland by Melanie Elder, Man From Braavos (Mach Three-Artificial ) won by a head from another Hunter Valley runner in One For The Rodi (Michael Formosa).

“It was very close,” said Elder, who watched the race unfold with her partner Joe Taaffe handling the reins.

“I had no idea who had won – just relieved the horse has a big head, which was a big help.

“My concern coming into the race was the horse is so big and would he handle the track but he was comfortable in the run and did handled it well.”

From the nine barrier, Man From Braavos settled at the back of the field with Taaffe electing to make a three-wide run midrace, securing a one-out-and-one-back trail into the race.

“It was a huge run by the horse and I am glad Joe went when he did and got cover going into the back straight,” said Elder.

“He is a tough horse and once he gets his head in front, he just keeps fighting.”

On the final bend out of the back straight, Taaffe and Man From Braavos were locked in a battle with Maitland Inter City Pace winner One For The Rodi.

“I began to feel confident when they turned into the home straight,” said Elder.

“If we could get a similar result in the final it would be nice – the horse just toughed it out up the home straight.

“I thought the barrier draw might have put us too far back, but it was a 10 out of 10 drive by Joe,” said Elder of her partner in both life and on the track.

Back in 2017 Melanie Elder spent a year working in the US, learning more of her craft and was planning to make a return to the States after visiting family . . . but that day is still to come.

“It was a good experience in America but I am pleased I decided to stayed at home now,” she said.

“Australia is home and now I have the opportunity to train my own horses.”

Elder has trained Ashark, another of her horses for 21 wins and was part of a Group 1 race, but a win in the $40,000 Multiquip Golden Guitar Final is set to be “emotional”.

“The Guitar Final would be my next big race start and I will be emotional if we win on Friday as that is my late Nan’s birthday,” she said.

“I will be emotional from being proud of the horse as well, as he has come such a long way.”

Man From Braavos has been in the Maitland-based stables of Elder for 44 starts resulting in nine wins.

Elder will also be looking to “do it for the girls”, being the lone female trainer to feature in the Golden Guitar Final.

“That sounds pretty good,” she said.

“It will be good to do it for the girls.”

With three horses in work, Melanie Elder as trainer and Joe Taaffe as reinsman, they divide their involvement in the sport of harness racing along with fulltime work with Melanie working in Infrastructure for a civil engineering company and Joe as a diesel mechanic.

“Life is good – we enjoy our jobs and then come home and enjoy the horses,” said Elder.

• JULIE MAUGHAN