Fruitful season for Manhattan Rain

The 2016/17 season is certainly proving fruitful for Arrowfield’s quiet achiever Manhattan Rain, sire of quality Melbourne sprinter Wild Rain, Golden Slipper favourite She Will Reign and South African Group winner Whisky Baron.

Whisky Baron, unbeaten in four runs this season, earned himself a start in the ~$500,000 Sun Met 2000m G1 on South Africa’s richest raceday, 28 January, when he won the Kenilworth Peninsula H. 1800m G2 earlier this month.  He’s the ninth stakeswinner and one of 21 stakes performers from Manhattan Rain’s 155 runners.

The 4YO colt was bought for $50,000 by Craig Roscoe & Joey Ramsden from Arrowfield’s 2014 Inglis Easter draft and is trained by Brett Crawford for Craig & Ross Kieswetter whose family has recently purchased the long-established Highlands Stud in the Western Cape.

Like this season’s debut 2YO stakeswinner Azazel, Whisky Baron is a result of the Aga Khan/Arrowfield joint venture, which also sold a colt and a filly for $1 million at last week’s Magic Millions Sale.

His unraced dam Tazkara, by the dual Derby and Arc winner Sinndar, is a grand-daughter of Tashtiya (by Shergar), winner of the 1983 Ascot Princess Royal S. G3 over the equivalent of 2400 metres. All four of Tazkara’s Australian-bred foals to race have won, with Flying Force (by Flying Spur) successful at 2200 metres.

Tazkara has a 3YO filly named Pretty Snitzel (by Snitzel) in training with Kelly Doughty on the Gold Coast and, after returning to France in 2014, foaled a second filly by Snitzel. Now a southern hemisphere 2YO, that filly will be prepared by leading French trainer Jean-Claude Rouget. Tazkara also has a yearling colt by Excelebration and is in foal to the young Shadwell stallion Muhaarar (by Oasis Dream).

Other performers by Manhattan Rain this term include Greg & Donna Kolivos’ 3YO filly Gibraltar Girl (two-time winner in Sydney and stakes-placed in Brisbane); Brendan & Jo Lindsay’s 4YO mare Promise To Reign (Group-placed in New Zealand), Teeley Assets’ smart 3YO colt Tango Rain (second in Star Turn’s ATC San Domenico S. G3 ), city winners Mr Manhattan, New Summer Night & Sunny Fame and debut 2YO winner Aunt Liberty.

Arrowfield sold all three of Manhattan Rain’s yearlings at Magic Millions, notably the sister to Group 2 winner Scarlet Rain, bought by RIFA Mustang Pty Ltd for $360,000 – equalling her sire’s top price for a filly.

Manhattan Rain has three fillies and two colts catalogued for February’s Inglis Classic Sale, and a colt and a filly for the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale later that month.