10th stakes performer for Manhattan Rain

Progressive young sire Manhattan Rain posted his 10th stakes performer when Wild Rain was joint runner-up in Saturday’s $160,000 MRC Sir John Monash S. 1100m G3.

Watch the MRC Sir John Monash S. G3 here.

Sent to the weight-for-age feature after a strong win at Moonee Valley on 20 June, Wild Rain began well and soon took up the lead from Angels Beach and Miss Promiscuity. Both mares challenged Wild Rain in the straight and it was 5YO Miss Promiscuity who swept forward to win by 2.8 lengths, with Wild Rain & Angels Beach dead-heating for second.

Wild Rain’s trainer Mark Kavanagh was delighted with the 3YO filly’s effort at her first start in black type company.

“That was great. We took a risk running in this as opposed to the fillies’ race and it is terrific for the owners to get the Group placing, She will head to the Dermody Stakes in Adelaide in three weeks’ time.” The 1050-metre South Australian race is now known as the Lightning Stakes.

Wild Rain has won four and placed in two of her 11 starts since her June 2014 debut, earning prizemoney of more than $160,000.

Bred by Arrowfield and John Leaver, Wild Rain is from North Flower (by Rory’s Jester) a 2YO city winner and a half-sister to the dam of 2003 Horse of the Year Northerly.

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.

Group 2 winner Moonovermanhattan and Listed stakeswinners Ondina & Manapine head the 31 winners that have put Manhattan Rain among Australia’s top five sophomore sires this season with earnings of $1.8 million.