Manhattan Rain delivers on Promise
A smart maiden winner by Manhattan Rain promises to give him another runner in a major Classic over the next couple of months.
Trainer Moira Murdoch has held a good opinion of Promise To Reign for some time now and the 3YO filly justified her confidence with a strong win over 1600m at Te Rapa in New Zealand.
Watch Promise To Reign’s win at Te Rapa.
Promise To Reign was a $270,000 purchase from Arrowfield’s 2014 Inglis Easter draft by John Foote for Brendan & Jo Lindsay and has been handled with all the patience required to develop an Oaks filly.
Murdoch indicated after Wednesday’s win that the $300,000 New Zealand Oaks G1 on 19 March was the filly’s main target this Autumn, with the Sir Tristram Fillies Classic G2 on 13 February her most likely next start.
Promise To Reign was bred by Matt & Jo Cloros and Arrowfield from the winning El Prado mare Certain Promise, a full sister to French Group 1 winner Spanish Moon and Royal Ascot Group 2 winner Spanish Sun. There’s plenty of top-class European middle-distance form in the pedigree, most notably contributed by Flintshire whose gallant Arc second earned him an international rating of 123, surpassed only by Golden Horn & Treve among the world’s best 2400-metre turf performers of 2015.
Certain Promise has a 2YO colt by Smart Missile in the Star Thoroughbreds stable, a yearling filly by Animal Kingdom for this year’s Inglis Easter Sale and a filly foal by Smart Missile.
Manhattan Rain has already shown he’s capable of leaving serious Classic contenders including Moonovermanhattan (Moonee Valley Vase G2), Light Up Manhattan (4th, Victoria Derby G1), Man of Choice (2nd, Spring Champion S. G1), Manapine & Crafty. However, he was classy enough himself to win at Group 1 level at two, then run second in the Cox Plate at three and he’s building a similar range of achievement as a sire.
His 4YO daughter Wild Rain is something of a 1000-metre specialist, winning in Melbourne Listed company at that distance and finding only Husson Eagle too strong for her in the 1100-metre Magic Millions Sprint on 9 January. The Mick Price-trained 3YO gelding Twisting Typhoon showed similar zip when winning his debut at Sandown on 2 December, followed a month later by a Saturday third placing over 1200m at Moonee Valley.
Manhattan Rain has also had two city winners, both of them Arrowfield graduates, from four 2YO starters this season: Darby Racing’s filly Scarlet Rain (ex Double Ranga) who lines up again at Randwick this Saturday, and Speeding Comet (ex Brazen Hussey), first & second in his two starts in Perth.
These performances have not been lost on buyers who paid an average of $123,333 – almost five times his 2013 fee – for six lots by the son of Encosta de Lago at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale. All but one were sold in Book 1 and four of them made $130,000 (2 lots), $160,000 and $230,000.
That top price of $230,000 was achieved by Turangga Farm for their filly out of Convene, a half-sister to Group 1 winner Headway. She was purchased by Shadwell Australasia; other Manhattan Rain yearling buyers included Gai Waterhouse (trainer of Scarlet Rain) & Julian Blaxland, and Lindsay Park Racing.
Manhattan Rain is also proving a valuable outcross option because, unlike his illustrious big brother Redoute’s Choice, he does not have Danehill or Danzig in his pedigree. Mares by stallions from that dominant line have already left Group 2 winner Moonovermanhattan, Group 1-placed Man Of Choice, stakeswinner Manapine, stakes-placed Manhattan Avenue & Right Or Wrong and city winners Boundary, Long Face Grace, Manna Trust & Scarlet Rain.
Manhattan Rain has 8 lots catalogued for the Inglis Classic Sale including two colts & a filly in the Arrowfield draft, and three fillies and two colts in the Inglis Melbourne Premier catalogue, among them Arrowfield’s daughter of Group-placed city winner Simply Put.
