Inside Ernie Manning’s incredible six decade career as the revered writer reveals his Melbourne Cup tip

It is a testament to Ernie Manning’s unwavering passion for horseracing that he can easily recall the Melbourne Cup winners across his almost six decade career as WA’s foremost racing writer. Some, of course, are impossible to forget. Like Makybe Diva’s unmatched three consecutive victories in 2003, 2004 and 2005 — which incredibly, Manning correctly predicted every time. Or the poignant moment Damien Oliver blew a kiss to the heavens after riding Media Puzzle to victory in 2002, just days after the death of his brother Jason. But there was also Think Big’s back-to-back triumph in 1975, Manning’s first time attending the Melbourne Cup, when the racing writer alongside him jumped for joy after backing the Bart Cummings-trained horse at odds of 33-1. And the following year, when Manning thoughtfully studied the field, checked the weather forecast and filed his tips to the Daily News in Perth, where he was the chief racing writer. He woke the next morning, Melbourne Cup day, at 3am and was “delighted” to see the pouring rain, having tipped wet weather fancy Van Der Hum. His tip would prove to be spot on, but that wasn’t the only reason that cup day was one of Manning’s most memorable. “I was standing in water up to my knees, it was absolutely torrential and they delayed the start by about 30 minutes because of lightning and thunder,” he recalled. “The race caller, who was famous for his accuracy, got the horses mixed up because he couldn’t see.” Manning also remembers many close-run seconds, or “regrets”, in particular the embarrassing time he lost his money on Light Fingers as a teenage bookmaker for fellow students at Bunbury Senior High School in 1965. “Less than 10 years later, I’m out in the middle of Flemington with (legendary trainers) Bart Cummings, Colin Hayes and Tommy Smith,” he said. “It was an amazing transition, being a school bookmaker and worshipping these guys, to being out on the track talking to them on a first-name basis.” Manning’s encyclopedic knowledge and expert understanding of the sport has seen him pick 14 Melbourne Cup winners, and is borne from years of meticulously honing his craft. Every day from 1972 until the late ‘90s Manning would rise at 2.30am to be at Ascot and Belmont by 4am for trackwork, “clocking” the gallops of each horse in the dark and getting to know the jockeys and trainers. “It just became a complete fascination. I’m one of the luckiest guys in the world — 58 years later I’m still doing my hobby,” he said. Much has changed about the sport and the betting industry since he started, including the way sports journalists such as Manning cover it. While he once kept reams of written records, his meticulous notes and observations are now all digital. What hasn’t changed is his love for the sport, which remains as strong as when he was a teenager growing up on a farm in Harvey. Manning worked for the town’s local newspaper before starting as a reporter the South Western Times in 1968, aged 19. On his first day Manning arrived early — something he would become known for throughout his career — to find the only person in the office was a photographic assistant by the name of Wendy Forrest. “She said ‘I’m Wendy, there’s your seat over there,’” Manning recalled. “It turned out, in 1999 she would own a Melbourne Cup winner, Rogan Josh, and I would chat to her many times over the years.” While living in the South West, Manning would drive to Perth every race weekend as his fascination with race horses and his ability to pick a winner flourished. In 1972 he moved to Perth and joined The Daily News, and was appointed chief racing writer in 1974. It was the start of a dream which he continued to live out when he joined The West Australian in 1992 following The Daily News’ closure. Manning has not placed a bet since he started covering racing, preferring to focus on the entire field without being distracted by a vested interest. But he has, of course, influenced the bets of many others, which is something he takes very seriously. Many of his old classmates who used to place bets with him in the 60s still follow his tips, and on a recent Sunday morning Manning was walking out of a Perth deli when a stranger remarked, “congratulations, you had a big day at Ascot yesterday”. The 14 Cup winners Manning has tipped include Without a Fight in 2023, Green Moon in 2012, and a favourite, At Talaq, in 1986. “I’d followed him right through, he did an ideal preparation, and I used to see him every morning up close,” he recalled. Predicting the Cup has become more challenging as more international horses have entered the race, but when compiling his tips Manning will always look at in-form trainers first, followed by in-form jockeys. “Then there are track conditions, of course, and the results of the Caulfield Cup,” he added. “You tip a horse that you know is going to run a big race, then it’s just up to the jockey.” As for Tuesday’s race, Manning is tipping Valiant King. “He’s got a light weight, he’s got wet track form, he’s got a jockey who’s previously won the Melbourne Cup in Jye McNeil and he’s trained by a master trainer (Chris Waller),” Manning said. Manning, 76, will be watching the Cup from his desk, preferably alone, so he can cast his expert eye over the race and analyse it for readers of The West Australian. And he will feel that same sense of anticipation, not for the first time thinking what a privilege it is to combine a lifelong passion with a hugely successful career. “I’m just so lucky, it’s still my hobby,” he said. “I never, ever get up in the morning and think ‘I don’t really want to come to work’. “I’m always keen to get in here and get started.”