March 4, 2010
words by DANNY POWER
The news this week that Manhattan Rain is to join his half-brother, champion sire Redoute's Choice, at Arrowfield Stud draws our attention to another wonderful producing mare, who will have multiple sons at stud - Peter and Wendy Moran's Staging.
Manhattan Rain (by Encosta De Lago) will be Shantha's Choice's (by Canny Lad) fourth son to retire to stud; she also is the dam of Platinum Scissors and Superior Sateen, brothers to Redoute's Choice (by Danehill (USA)).
Shantha's Choice is the only active Australian mare to have three Group 1 winners to her name (Redoute's Choice, Platinum Scissors and Manhattan Rain), but Staging is hot on her tail.
Staging (by Success Express (USA)) is a top-flight racemare - she won 10 races, four at Group 2 level and placed four times in Group 1s - who has gone on to be a broodmare blue hen.
Staging, who already has her Group 1 winning son Excites (AJC Sires' Produce Stakes) at stud at Vinery, will have two high-profile sons - Duporth and Tickets - possibly fighting out Saturday's Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington.
The magnificent-looking Duporth (pictured) , by Red Ransom (USA), became Staging's second Group 1 winner when he brilliantly won the BTC Cup (wfa 1200m) at Doomben in April 2009, and Peter Moody, who trains both horses, believes Tickets (by Redoute's Choice), already a Group 2 winner, is a Group 1 quality galloper. Both horses are owned by the Morans.
Duporth was a top-class juvenile, who trained on to win the $1 million Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill as a spring 3YO
Duporth, with his blood free of Northern Dancer, is one of the hottest young sire prospects in the country. The near-black horse returned to racing in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes (wfa 1000m, Flemington) last month with an excellent sixth behind Nicconi.
Moody has reserved Duporth for the Newmarket, a race in which the horse last year finished a luckless eighth, beaten only 3.5 lengths, behind Scenic Blast, before going on to win his Group 1 in Brisbane.
Duporth is in his last campaign before he is retired to stud. Studmasters are clamouring to sign him up - watch this space - as an announcement on a home for this exciting stallion prospect will be made shortly.
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