Stratheden Stud

Gold Coast Manner Hill Colt has Merlene Bloodlines

Buyers at the 2006 Conrad Jupiters Magic Millions yearling sale at the Gold Coast this month could do well to be at ringside late in the afternoon of Monday January 16 when the only two yearlings in the catalogue in the first crop of the tough, good class Danehill performer Manner Hill are presented.

Both in the draft from one of NSW's elite sources of quality horses, the Stratheden Stud, Tamworth, they are a colt bred very much like the spectacular Danehill filly Merlene and a filly which is the first foal of Risette, a half-sister by the Sadler's Wells English Two Thousand Guineas winner Entrepreneur to Group 1 placed Vitrinite.

Both Vitrinite, a Lord Ballina winner of seven races, and Manner Hill were raced in partnerships including the Marheine's of Stratheden Stud and both are now located at the Cherokee Rose Stud, one owned by well known Melbourne racing identity Danny Rose at Lancefield in Victoria. Initially used over small numbers of mares at Stratheden, these two sires were moved to Victoria in 2005 and Manner Hill in particular got a warm welcome from breeders, looking after nearly 100 mares.

His popularity was not surprising for he had won six races from 1100 to 2400 metres, earned half a dozen cheques from performances in Group events and offered a very powerful pedigree. He is not only by the awesome sire of sires Danehill, but his dam Mannerism was not far off being named an Australian Racehorse of the Year. She won13 races including four Group1 events, the Caulfield Cup, Futurity Stakes, MRC Invitation Stakes and SAJC Australasian Oaks, and was placed in the MRC Underwood Stakes, AJC Oaks and All-Aged Stakes.

Very few of the first yearlings by Manner Hill are likely to appear at sales and it is doubtful any will be better credentialled than the two booked into the Gold Coast by Stratheden. Their colt, Lot 900, is a half-brother to Sydney winner Generator (eight wins) and from Our Promise, a three-quarter sister by Luskin Star to Bold Promise, a leading Australian two and three-year-old who went to Danehill to produce Golden Slipper and AJC Sires' Produce Stakes winner Merlene. In addition Bold Promise is the dam of VRC Newmarket Handicap winner Miss Pennymoney.

Stratheden's Manner Hill filly, Lot 913, also has strong maternal breeding. Besides her dam being a half-sister to Vitrinite, the second dam is a half-sister to two other Lord Ballina stars in Royal Magic (nine wins, Queensland Oaks and Derby) and Perfect Bound (QTC Grand Prix Stakes).

The Manner Hills are among a dozen yearlings which this stud has listed for the Gold Coast.They include a filly by the Stratheden bred champion Snippets sprinter Snowland, a colt and a filly by the very fashionable shuttle sire Red Ransom and colts by Royal Academy and Testa Rossa.

The Red Ransom colt has the breeding to suggest it could be another Golden Slipper prospect for this sire. It is the first live foal of the Danehill Sydney winner and stakes placed Donnadane, a three-quarter sister to the superb sprinter Fastnet Rock.

Brian Russell Bloodstock Media Service

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