Manapine impresses in Flemington stakes win

On the Saturday after Easter Sale buyers paid an average of $215,000 for the eight Manhattan Rain yearlings, Easter graduate Manapine endorsed their selections with a powerful victory in the $150,000 VRC Galilee Series Final 2500m LR.

He is Manhattan Rain’s fourth stakeswinner from his first 69 runners.

Jockey Dwayne Dunn gave the 3YO gelding a perfect ride, placing him midfield off the fence during the running, then setting him alight down the centre of the famous Flemington straight.

Oncidium Ruler then lauched a serious challenge, but Manapine responded strongly to edge clear and win by a half-neck, with All I Survey almost three lengths back in third place.

Nigel Blackiston, who trains him for Arrowfield, Tony & Judy Hodgson, Tony Cheung & David Boehm, said, “Manapine’s win showed me he has the class, strength and stamina to become a force in some good races in the future.”

His final target for the season is the $500,000 SAJC South Australian Derby G1, also over 2500 metres, on 9 May.

Manapine was bred by the Arrowfield-Jungle Pocket partnership from Anapine (by Anabaa), a city-winning sister to dual Group 3 winner Tall Timbers and half-sister to stakeswinner Taken, from the family of Yorkshire Oaks G1 winner Catchascatchcan.

He is the fifth Arrowfield-sold stakeswinner from the 2013 Inglis Easter Sale, after Group 1 winners Majmu and Wandjina, Group 2 winner Moonovermanhattan & stakeswinner Crafty.

Anapine has a yearling filly by Gio Ponti, and a weanling filly by Dubai World Cup winner Animal Kingdom.

Manapine is Stakeswinner No. 4 for Manhattan Rain, following the successes of the Mick Price-trained colt Moonovermanhattan (MVRC Moonee Valley Vase G2), and the fillies Crafty (VRC Taj Rossi Series Final LR at two, and Group 2-placed at three) & Ondina (SAJC Laelia S. LR).

Ondina’s trainer Gai Waterhouse, John Foote, James Harron, Lindsay Park Racing, Spicer Thoroughbreds and First Light Racing were among the Australian buyers who signed for the four colts and four fillies by Manhattan Rain at the Inglis Easter Sale. 

Manhattan Rain joined his fellow second crop stallions I Am Invincible and Medaglia d’Oro on the top 10 sires’ list at Session 1 of the Easter Sale, with an average of $316,000, more than 20 times his 2015 fee, for five lots sold.

His top price of $700,000, paid by the Hong Kong Jockey Club for Arrowfield’s half-brother to Group 1 winner Wandjina, is a record figure for a Manhattan Rain yearling.

By Encosta de Lago, Manhattan Rain is free of Danehill and is showing a good affinity for Danehill- and Danzig-line mares, a combination already responsible for Moonovermanhattan, Manapine and Group-placed Manhattan Avenue. However, Crafty is from a Sadler’s Wells mare and both Ondina and Tony McEvoy’s exciting 2YO Manhattan Blues are from mares by Storm Bird-line sires.

Sire of 26 winners of 34 races in Australia this term, Manhattan Rain is fourth on the Second Season Sires’ table, with close to $1.5 million prizemoney.