Stakes double for Arrowfield graduates
The two fillies were foaled 22 days apart in the Spring of 2011, grew up together at Arrowfield and were sold as Lots 69 and 111 at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale.
On Saturday Wild Rain (by Manhattan Rain) and Traveston Girl (by Flying Spur) both won their second Listed Races, and are right on track for a serious tilt at Magic Millions riches next month.
Wild Rain earned black capital status with her SAJC Lightning S. LR victory at Morphettville in July, and resumed with strong second placings at Flemington & Ballarat last month.
This time, she lined up at Sandown in the $120,000 MRC Doveton S. 1000m LR and settled close to the pace, then claimed the lead on the turn and kicked clear to score by 1.75 lengths from Office Bearer, with a half-length further back to Tried And Tired. The $1 million Magic Millions Sprint over 1100 metres is the main goal of her summer campaign.
Watch Wild Rain’s MRC Doveton S. LR win at Sandown.
Bred by Arrowfield & John Leaver, Wild Rain was a $150,000 purchase by her trainer Mark Kavanagh whose wife Isobel and son Levi are among her owners.
Wild Rain’s dam North Flower (by Rory’s Jester) is a 2YO city-winning half-sister to the dam of 2003 Horse of the Year Northerly, and Group winners North Boy and Northern Song.
North Flower has also left the stakes-placed city winner Flowerchild to Redoute’s Choice and an unraced 3YO daughter, Tahlia Star, to Starcraft. The Animal Kingdom half-sister to Wild Rain will be offered in Arrowfield’s 2016 Magic Millions Gold Coast draft.
Manhattan Rain has six fillies and a colt in the Magic Millions catalogue, among them Arrowfield’s filly from the Not A Single Doubt mare Zing and Swing.
At Doomben Traveston Girl took up her usual leading role in the $100,000 BRC Brisbane H. 1640m LR and fought hard to hold out Hopfgarten by a half-head, with a length back to Shotover River in third.
It was Traveston Girl’s second black type success in a fortnight and the Bernborough Handicap LR on 19 December will be her final tune-up before the $1 million Magic Millions Trophy over 1800 metres on 9 January.
Traveston Girl is the fourth foal and fourth winner out of Milande (by Dehere), an unraced sister to multiple Group 1 winner Defier from the family of champion 3YO Triscay and Group 1 winners La Baraka & Demerger. The Flying Spur/Dehere cross has previously produced the Arrowfield-sold three-time Group 1 winner Forensics.
Bred by the partnership of Arrowfield, John Leaver & Alan Jones, Traveston Girl was purchased for $60,000 from Arrowfield’s 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale draft. She is prepared by Tony Gollan for Troy Schmidt’s River Junction Racing which now also owns Milande and has a yearling half-brother to Traveston Girl by All American.
So far, Arrowfield graduates from the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast auction include five stakeswinners: Group 3 juvenile winners Bachman (who won his season debut at Randwick on Saturday) & Oakleigh Girl, and Listed winner Hijack Hussy, as well as Traveston Girl & Wild Rain.
