Smart Manhattan Rain filly wins again

Manhattan Rain’s 3YO daughter Wild Rain continued her steady progress with a dashing all-the-way win over 1050 metres at Morphettville on Saturday.

Wild Rain began well for jockey Damien Oliver, quickly took control of the pace, and rolled along in front very comfortably. When the challenges appeared in the straight, she responded to Oliver’s hands-and-heels urging and extended impressively to score by two lengths from Cashed and Duckworth.

The chestnut filly broke her maiden by 8 lengths at Kyneton in December and stepped up immediately to city class on 3 January at Moonee Valley where she prevailed in a hard-fought finish by a half-length.

A third and a sixth at Flemington followed before trainer Mark Kavanagh sent her to Adelaide for the third win in her eight-start career.

Bred by Arrowfield and John Leaver, Wild Rain is from North Flower (by Rory’s Jester), herself a 2YO winner at Morphettville and a half-sister to the dam of 2003 Horse of the Year Northerly, and Group winners North Boy and Northern Song.

North Flower has also left the stakes-placed city winner Flowerchild to Redoute’s Choice, and has an unraced 2YO filly by Starcraft named Tahlia Star and a weanling filly by Animal Kingdom.

Wild Rain was a $150,000 Kavanagh buy from Arrowfield at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale and is raced by Isobel & Levi Kavanagh, Brett Griffith & Tim Storey of Collins St Partners, Wade McKibben, Stan & Anna Hunt and Gary and Rhonda Ma.

It has been a productive fortnight for Manhattan Rain, also the sire of Mr Manhattan (Sydney winner on 28 April), Bear-Pop (Hong Kong winner on 3 May), Right Or Wrong (who posted his second win from 4 starts at Ipswich on 6 May), and Manapine, already a Flemington stakeswinner and a good fifth in Saturday’s South Australian Derby G1.

Manhatan Rain holds fourth position on the Australian Second Season Sires’ list with $1.6 million prizemoney and 29 winners including stakeswinners Moonovermanhattan, Ondina and Manapine.