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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Mark Minervini is no stranger to success with a tried racehorse and he’s hoping for an instant return on ex-Godolphin galloper Hanau at Rosehill on Saturday.

The Newcastle trainer’s highest profile pick up has been Hosier, who won the Group 3 Premier’s Cup in 2023, and he feels the $100,000 the new connections paid for the lightly raced Hanau will prove to be a bargain.

“Damien Fitton has been helping me, he used to be with Chris Waller, and he helped identify him,” Minervini said.

“You could pay that for a yearling and wait for years and not be guaranteed to go to the races.

Trainer Mark Minervini (Pic: Bradley Photos).

“In this situation we have a readymade racehorse we think is up to metropolitan standard so it wasn’t a lot of money for what he is.”

Hanau has won three of his 13 starts and came to Minervini race fit as a second-up winner at his last start on a heavy track at Canterbury on July 9 where he posted his first success since February 2024.

So the prospect of a wet track holds no fears for the grey and jockey Zac Lloyd when they reunite in the Congratulations Chris Waller Handicap (1200m).

“He’s a well bred horse, by Snitzel out of a full sister to Pierro, and he hits the line hard,’’ he said.

“His form is pretty solid and his last start was a good win.

“He had one gallop on Tuesday, he came to us in great order and we’ve just let him settle in, and he pulled up well.

“Zac’s won two on him and he knows the horse well so that’s a positive move as well.”

The rising five-year-old, $4.60 with TAB on Wednesday, hasn’t started longer than $8.50 in his career and his second-up win, when a solid favourite, backed up an eye-catching fresh performance.

Minervini said Hanau arrived in terrific order and that’s given him a great head start.

“They are well looked after and there’s an advantage to that, they’re very transparent in their feedback,’’ he said.

“So far we’re over the moon with him, I reckon he’s a really nice pick up for our stable.

“He’s only lightly raced, I’d be optimistic to think we’ll end up in front with him for sure.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Rosehill meeting