January 12, 2008 MANNER maketh the horse could be the catchcry in Victoria in the not too distant future.This is indicated by the promise being shown in Queensland by Feisty Manner, a Stratheden Stud, Tamworth, NSW bred youngster who followed up a game half length debut second at the Gold Coast on December 29 with a win in the juvenile event at Doomben on January 12. Purchased out of the Stratheden draft at Magic Millions Gold Coast sale ring last January and racing out of the S. Ryan stables at Deagon, this brown colt is in the second crop of the versatile, good class Danehill galloper Manner Hill and is from the Marscay Sydney winner Feisty Kate. Although Manner Hill's oldest progeny are 3-year-olds, he has only had seven runners, but they include five money earners, three of them including Feisty Manner winners. His small representation flows from his restricted use in his initial seasons at stud, starting as a late retiree to the Stratheden Stud. His early success from limited exposure, however, suggests that he has very good prospects of living up to the belief by Victorian stud owner Danny Rose that "I think we are going to witness a stallion to be reckoned with." In 2005, Rose acquired Manner Hill as a foundation sire for his Lancefield located Cherokee Rose Stud, one which has the hallmarks of emerging as a Victorian breeding powerbase of considerable consequence. The move to Victoria by Manner Hill marked the start of his career as a commercial sire. It has resulted in books of 85 (2005), 95 (2006) and 97 (2007). In the latter season he would have had well over 100 if it not been for the equine influenza stranding at least 10 of the mares booked into him north of the Victorian border. Among the mares who went to Manner Hill in the 2007 season were daughters of the fashionable sires Canny Lad, Encosta de Lago, Flying Spur, Hennessy (USA), Last Tycoon (IRE), Zephyr Bay, Bluebird (USA), Blevic, Scenic (IRE), Dehere (USA), Marscay, Thunder Gulch (USA), Century, Centaine, Jeune (GB), Palace Music (USA), Prego (IRE), Barathea (IRE), Desert Sun (GB), Kaapstad, Rustic Amber (IRE), Twig Moss (FR), Clear Choice (USA), Geiger Counter (USA), Pentire (GB), Spectrum (IRE), Bellotto (USA), Secret Savings (USA), Brief Truce (USA) and Bureaucracy. Also yearlings from his first year at Cherokee Rose include offspring of mares by Canny Lad, Flying Spur, Dehere, Bureaucracy, Thunder Gulch, Octagonal, Fasliyev (USA), Desert Sun, Spectrum and Zeditave. Two of these booked into the Victorian Premier sale on behalf of the home stud are from Inahury and Centaflury, half-sisters to Inaflury, a high class race filly who won nine races for Danny Rose, including the Caulfield Thousand Guineas-Gr.1 and four Group 2 events. She was third behind Sky Heights and Laebeel in the1999 Caulfield Cup. Cherokee Rose also has two by Manner Hill chosen for the select sessions of the Magic Millions Adelaide sale, nine for their Gold Coast sale and others listed for the Inglis Melbourne Autumn sale. Such widespread exposure to buyers provides this son of Danehill with a very good opportunity to be established as a prominent sire. A big attraction to Manner Hill is that not only is it hard to miss getting good results through using a well supported Danehill sire, but that he is from Mannerism, one of the best racehorses to go to him. A winner by a spectacular 11.8 lengths at Kyneton on debut, she went on to succeed in 13 races all told and earn $1.8million, including in her major wins appearances in the MRC Caulfield Cup-Gr.1, Vic Health Cup-Gr.1, Futurity Stakes-Gr.1, SAJC Australasian Oaks-Gr.1, VRC Craiglee Stakes-Gr.2, A.V. Kewney Stakes-Gr.2 and MRVC J.F. Feehan Stakes-Gr.2. Her toughness and soundness, qualities obviously transmitted to her son Manner Hill, was not surprising as she is by Amyntor (FR), a France Group1 placegetter by Sir Gaylord, and from Northwood Manner, a half-sister by the Round Table sire Knightly Manner (USA) to Always Welcome, a winner or second placegetter in eight Group 1 races in the 1200-1600m range. Another indication that Mannerism can be a resource for toughness and durability is the closeness of her breeding to that which produced Australasian super sire Sir Tristram (IRE), a son of the Sir Gaylord sire Sir Ivor and a mare by Round Table. Manner Hill, an imposing 16.1 hands, lengthy bay, won six races, showed a fine turn of foot at 1000m and the stamina to stay 2400m successfully. A fluent mover who could dictate the pace, he was unlucky not to have won his first four races, opening up with a long head second at Seymour, following with very promising wins at Bendigo (5-2 on, he won by 1.8 lengths in fast 1100m time of 1:2.53) and Flemington (again favourite) and then a nose second to Freemason Schweppes Cup-LR at Caulfield. The Schweppes Cup effort supplied the first of his nine stakes cheques, the others including wins in the AJC Craven Plate-Gr.3 (by 2.0 lengths), STC N.E. Manion Cup-Gr.3 and VRC Super Vobis Handicap. He was also in the prize distribution in the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes-Gr.1, STC Ranvet Stakes-Gr.1, STC Hill Stakes-Gr.2, VRC Gateway Quality-Gr.3, STC Canterbury Cup-Gr.3 and Parramatta Cup-LR. |
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