Racing: Mangos the man at Park

By MICHAEL GUERIN

If you feel like having a bet at Alexandra Park tonight but can't find a horse you like take a tip - back whatever Brent Mangos is driving.

The Pukekohe horseman has been the most in-form reinsman in the North Island this month, with three and four-win bags at recent meetings.

Now the snowball effect has kicked in Mangos finds himself with several serious winning chances tonight.

"It has been a good month and when that happens you tend to get good drives as a result," admits Mangos.

"We all have our runs of form and hopefully it can continue for a bit longer. And I'm happy with the drives I've got this week."

Mangos continues his association with trotting speedster Lanson in tonight's feature trot and even though the pair face a 50m handicap they can overcome it.

"She begins so quickly she could make up a lot of that handicap inside the first 600m and then she would be very hard to beat because she has high speed.

"I think she is a very good mare who would hold her own against the open class horses."

Mangos may not have to wait that long for his first win tonight though, as he rates juvenile Anothernightout, who starts against maidens in the first race, one of his best drives tonight.

"He was unlucky last start when he got wiped out early but went super afterwards. I think he will be hard to beat in that field."

He is just one of five drives Mangos has for top trainer Barry Purdon tonight and he rates all good chances.

"Optimist (R10) and Seeking The Gold (R7) will be good chances in handy fields while I rate Major Danger (R8) as a good stayer.

"He went a fast time at the workouts last weekend and he impressed me last season.

"I get the feeling he might need one run in this grade to get back to his peak but Barry likes him."

Mangos will also have his first drive behind class four-year-old trotter Tony H tonight and he deserves to be favourite even after two surprise defeats in the last fortnight.

"I think he will be fitter for those two runs and he is a good drive because he is a top young trotter at his best."

Even Mangos' less favoured engagement tonights, and The Brite Tradesman (R2) and Mark Holmes (R3), are good each way chances in weaker fields than they have met lately.