The stars can align for leading Westspeed breeders Tony Patrizi and Eddie Rigg when Man Crush takes on a crack field of sprinters in the Listed R S Crawford Stakes (1200m) at Ascot this Saturday.
Man Crush will strip match-fit for trainer Luke Fernie after returning from the Goldfields where he was placed in the $1 million Golden Saddle (1200m) on October 4. And he will appreciate getting back on home turf where he won the Crystal Slipper Stakes (1100m) as a raw 2yo and the LR Miss Andretti Stakes (1200m) earlier this year.
“He’s in good order and it was a super run in the Golden Saddle,” Fernie said. “Getting him back on top of the ground was the key. He’s been a stable favourite right from the start and his run in last year’s (G1) Winterbottom Stakes was really good, too.”
Man Crush working towards a win at Ascot / Photo: Western Racepix
Patrizi owns Greenfields Lodge at Capel and bred Man Crush using Manhattan Rain over his mare Crushed (All Too Hard) when the stallion was based in Victoria. Her two subsequent foals by Manhattan Rain – a 2yo colt and yearling filly – were conceived just 65km away at Rigg’s Geisel Park nursery in Myalup.
Second-dam Juice (Bertolini) was a Group 1 winner of the NZB Breeders Stakes (1600m) at Te Aroha in 2010 and she was purchased by Patrizi, carrying Crushed, for $350,000 at the 2014 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
“Manhattan Rain is a blueblood and we believe supporting him is a really good way to upgrade our broodmares,” Greenfields manager Lachlan Donnelly said. “He’s still young and siring strong types that can add to their pages. They’re forward and have the right attitude.”
His first Geisel Park crop are 2yo colts and fillies and will kick-start their careers on a successful platform of recent feature winners like Jigsaw and Benagil.
Manhattan Rain speed-machine Jigsaw turned back the clock to score a memorable victory in the $100,000 Apache Cat Classic (1200m) at Cranbourne on Friday evening.
A front-running favourite with punters, Jigsaw (pictured on rails) last saluted the judge in the LR Hareeba Stakes (1200m) at Mornington in April 2023 but refused to lie down at his home track. He had created a Cranbourne course record clocking 57.24 seconds in the 2023 Apache Cat Classic when it was run over 1000m.
“I’m so proud of him,” part-owner and trainer Cindy Alderson said. “He carried 59.5kg tonight and is paying the price for winning so many races. He had a couple of plain campaigns last year but looks amazing since I brought him back into work this season. His coat has come through and there’s a real vibe on the back of that long break.
“I rode him down at the beach on Wednesday morning and it felt like I was sitting on a volcano. I decided to get out of the water and get him straight to the races!”
Manhattan Rain’s Group 1 winning filly Benagil followed up on Saturday with a never nearer third in the LR Weekend Hussler Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield. It signalled she will be a force at the elite level as a mare this season for trainer Glen Thompson and part-owners Phil and Patti Campbell.
Benagil won the G1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville in April and Thompson reported she has come back better than ever. “She had decent break up in Queensland after a long prep last time in. She’s had a few niggles but has been perfect since coming back to Flemington.
“There was a query whether she would be forward enough first-up. I thought Craig (Williams) may have looked after her a little bit too much in her second jump-out. For that reason, we took her to Caulfield on Tuesday morning for a good hit-out.”
Thompson is weighing up two options for Benagil on Saturday, November 1. The $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Randwick has a lucrative purse, however, the G1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington is the preferred target.
Manhattan Rain (Encosta de Lago) is a half-brother to Redoute’s Choice and stands for $5,500 at Geisel Park alongside Aysar ($8,800) and Winning Rupert ($6,600). (Fees inc GST). Stud manager Conor Dunlop can be contacted for bookings or further details on 0447 434 735.
