Manhattan Rain speedsters shine
A couple of good results over Australia’s Labour holiday weekend spotlighted Manhattan Rain’s ability to sire a very smart sprinter.
His 5YO daughter Wild Rain put up a career-best performance at Moonee Valley on Friday evening when she finished third, less than 1.5 lengths from the outstanding winner Extreme Choice, in the MVRC Moir S. G1, with Chautauqua and Buffering behind her.
Watch Wild Rain, 3rd, MVRC Moir S. G1 (blue silks with black & white checked sash and cap)
The mare’s jockey Stephen Baster confirmed the quality of her run. “She ran out of her skin. She had a beautiful run behind Buffering and on the turn, I thought we were a chance, so it’s a big effort to run third.”
Wild Rain has already won twice in Group company this campaign, taking her earnings close to $800,000 – a very tidy return on the $150,000 that trainer Mark Kavanagh gave for her at the 2013 Magic Millions Sale.
Bred in partnership with John Leaver and sold by Arrowfield Stud, she is the best of three winners left to date by North Flower (by Rory’s Jester), a winning relative of Hall of Famer Northerly and Group winners North Boy and Northern Song. Wild Rain’s 2YO half-sister Desert Flower (by Animal Kingdom) is in training with Paul Messara, and North Flower visits Olympic Glory this Spring.
The Warwick Farm meeting on Monday was a few steps down the ladder, though benefiting from the latest round of Racing NSW prizemoney increases with an attractive stake of $50,000.
It was Mr Manhattan, another talented member of Manhattan Rain’s 2011 crop, who collected the winner’s $27,750 share of that money with a 1.5 length victory in the 1000-metre handicap, coming home the last 600 metres in a very slick 33.17.
Watch Mr Manhattan win at Warwick Farm.
It was the gelding’s fifth win from ten starts for breeders Paul Whelan, Wilf & Rosemary Mula and their fellow owners, and trainer Joe Pride. They’ve been happy to let Mr Manhattan work through the grades, compiling $171,000 prizemoney along the way, but it will be no surprise to see him earn black capital status this season.
Mr Manhattan is a half-brother to dual stakeswinner Dublin Lass, out of the city-winning mare Fashion Police (by Elusive Quality). She is yet another fine producer from a family that has thrown a host of top performers including Midnight Fever, Rock Classic, Skyerush, Mahisara and Mr Manhattan’s Group 2-winning third dam Fine Recipe.
Go back another eight generations and there’s Lady Josephine, dam of one of racing’s most famous speedsters, and one of the 20th century’s most important broodmares, Mumtaz Mahal.
Rather like Wild Rain and Mr Manhattan, their sire is making his mark by the steady accumulation of quality results. With 18 stakes performers (12% of his runners) from his first three crops, Manhattan Rain is more than holding his own among Australia’s younger stallions.
