Peter Manning has loaded up on ammunition in his quest to claim another Sapling Stakes.
The master Great Western trainer has half the field in Saturday night's $20,000 SEW-Eurodrive-sponsored event for two-year-old fillies, which will be run over 1720 metres at Melton's Tabcorp Park.
Lady Erica Lombo (one), Queena Hearts Lombo (four) and Chi Serasera Lombo (five) are Manning's runners off the front, while Mica Pink (eight) and Leilani Lombo (nine) will start alongside each other on the back row.
Million To One filly Leilani Lombo strolled home at Tabcorp Park on debut, while Lady Erica Lombo, a daughter of Northern Luck, and Western Terror youngster Mica Pink finished second and fifth respectively in the same race at their only outing.
Queena Hearts Lombo, a daughter of Chill Factor, and Chi Serasera Lombo, who is by Life Sign out of APG-winning mare Espeshlimade Lombo, will both be on debut.
Manning said the quintet were part of a strong juvenile arsenal he possesses this season, but had a leaning to Leilani Lombo and Lady Erica Lombo as his better hopes this weekend.
"Leilani, she won well and ran a good last half (57.5 seconds) and the one off the pole (Lady Erica Lombo), she ran a 28.4-second last quarter when she just got pipped. The others go pretty nicely, too, though."
Despite his amazing record with juvenile fillies, Manning has won only one of the 10 editions of the Sapling Stakes. That was with Lynsey Lombo in 2001.
Manning's daughter Kerryn, who drove Lynsey Lombo to victory and has other Sapling Stakes successes with Bella Joy (2003) and Clarenden Esprit (2004), is likely to drive Leilani Lombo.
But the trainer is yet to finalise pilots for the rest of his team and may be forced to extend his driving comeback by a week.
Manning had his first drive in almost five-and-a-half years last Saturday night when he partnered troublesome trotter Wrath Of Rosie at Bendigo.
"I normally get Chris Alford and Daryl Douglas when I've got a few in a race, but they've both already got a drive," Manning said. "I might have to drive one of them myself."
Although the feature event of Saturday night's eight-race card, the SEW-Eurodrive Sapling Stakes is race two and will be run at 6.45pm.
Other highlights include the Renown Silverware Pace, at 9.20pm, in which Sterlish, In Monaco and Jazzam are engaged, while Vicbred Super Series winner Rostevarren resumes in a slick Vermont Panels 3YO Trot at 9.50pm.
