Manhattan Rain's international double
Thursday’s winners in South Africa and Australia by exciting second season sire Manhattan Rain draw attention to their siblings on offer at early 2015 yearling sales.
Arrowfield graduate Diva Danny posted her second win from three starts when she defeated older mares over 1800 metres at the Vaal meeting.
Trained by Mike Azzie for Adriaan & Rika van Vuuren, Diva Danny was a $100,000 purchase from Arrowfield’s 2013 Magic Millions draft. The Stud will present Diva Danny’s full brother at the Inglis Classic Sale in February.
Both were bred by Arrowfield in partnership with Matt and Jo Cloros from the American mare Passiflora (by Empire Maker), a daughter of Danehill’s three-quarter sister Quick To Please.
Passiflora also has a 2YO Snitzel colt, purchased for $200,000 by Mick Price at this year’s Inglis Easter Sale, and is in foal again to the brilliant son of Redoute’s Choice.
Manhattan Rain’s Australian winner on Thursday was 3YO debutant Mr Manhattan who scored stylishly over 1200 metres at Gosford.
The Joe Pride-trained gelding jumped well and took up the lead which he held comfortably, needing only hands-and-heels encouragement from jockey Blake Shinn until the final stages of the race. He then quickened smartly to stave off Russet by almost a half-length, with Last Card Joe in third place.
Mr Manhattan, a chestnut like Diva Danny, was bred by Luskin Park Stud which passed him in at the 2013 Inglis Easter Sale and now races him with a large group of owners including Wilf & Rosemary Mula. His dam Fashion Police (by Elusive Quality) descends from the good producer Lady Lustre, a half-sister to the dam of top-class 2YO filly Midnight Fever (1987 VATC Blue Diamond S. G1).
It’s been a very good week for Fashion Police, also dam of last Saturday’s Rosehill winner Dublin Lass (by O’Reilly), and a yearling colt by Starcraft to be offered at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale in January. Fashion Police was served by Snitzel in September and is safely in foal to him.
As for Manhattan Rain, he now has 15 first-crop winners, four of them prominent in Group company this Spring: Moonovermanhattan (MVRC Moonee Valley Vase G2), Crafty (2nd, MRC Caulfield Classic G3 & 3rd, VRC Edward Manifold S. G2), Manhattan Avenue (two Listed Race placings & 3rd, VRC Carbine Club S. G3) and Light Up Manhattan (4th, VRC Victoria Derby G1 & MRC Caulfield Classic G3).
These performances have put Manhattan Rain in third position on the Australian Second Season Sires’ list by prizemoney ($808,855) and winners (12).
The Group 1-winning son of Encosta de Lago has ten lots catalogued for each of the first two Australian yearling sales of 2015, Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale in January and the Inglis Classic Sale in February. Arrowfield’s consignments include two Maanhattan Rain yearlings at each auction.
