Manhattan Rain, War Front, Uncle Mo and The Wow Signal all add to their stakes tallies
Manhattan Rain - The Blue Gum Farm-based son of Encosta De Lago (Fairy King) sired his 14th individual stakes winner on Sunday when Excelling (6 g ex Princess Ruhie by Fusaichi Pegasus) took out the Merlion Trophy (Listed, 1200m) at Kranji.
The six-year-old gelding was purchased by Hyde Park Bloodstock at the 2015 Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale for $20,000 from the Shadwell Farm draft, before being snapped up by Pride Racing for NZ$50,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale the following year.
Excelling is out of unraced Fusaichi Pegasus (Mr Prospector) mare Princess Ruhie, who was purchased by Shadwell Stud for $2,000 at the 2014 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale carrying the gelding in utero and she is also the dam of Listed-placed Miracle The Second (Stratum). Further back this is the family Listed winners Roadagain (Catbird) and Queens Way (King Of Roses).
The stallion’s progeny is headed by 2017 Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) She Will Reign and South African Grade 1 winner Whisky Baron and he stands at stud for a fee of $13,200 (inc GST) in 2020.
War Front - War Front’s (Danzig) tally of elite level winners moved to 22 on Saturday when Halladay (4 c ex Hightap by Tapit) landed the Fourstardave Handicap (Gr 1, 8f) at Saratoga.
The colt is out of dual Grade 3 winning Tapit (Pulpit) mare Hightap, making him a brother to two winners and a half-brother to two winners.
Meanwhile further back the colt’s third dam produced Listed winner Lodge Hill (Cozzene) and he also shares a page Grade 1 winner El Sultan (Morning Bob).
War Front’s global stakes winners count is 94 and his elite level winners include Underwood Stakes (Gr 1, 1800m) winner Homesman.
The Claiborne Farm-based sire War Front stood for a fee of US$250,000 this year. His leading earner in the US last year was Omaha Beach who will shuttle to Spendthrift Australia for the first time this year where his fee has been set at $22,000 (inc GST).
Uncle Mo - Harvest Moon (3 f ex Qaraaba by Shamardal) provided Coolmore Stud-based sire Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie) with his 62nd stakes winner as she landed the Torrey Pines Stakes (Gr 3, 8f) at Del Mar on Saturday.
The filly is out of Robert J Frankel Stakes (Gr 3, 9f) winning Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) mare Qaraaba, making her a half-sister to Californiagoldrush (Cape Blanco).
The filly’s fourth dam is the multiple Group 1-winning champion Salsabil (Sadler’s Wells), who in turn produced Grade 2 winner Sahm (Mr Prospector), Grade 3 winners Bint Salsabil (Nashwan) and Alabaq (Riverman).
Uncle Mo has sired eight Group / Grade 1 winners to date headed by his Kentucky Derby winning son Nyquist. He shuttled to Australia for four seasons between 2012 and 2015.
Uncle Mo's 2020 fee at Coolmore's Ashford Stud was set at US$125,000.
The Wow Signal - The late former shuttler The Wow Signal (Starspangledbanner) was handed second stakes winner as Glory Maker (3 g ex Storia Dell'isola by Vespone) took out the Premio Merano (Listed, 2200m) at Merano on Sunday.
Purchased for €22,000 at the 2018 Osarus La Teste Yearling Sale, before making 22,000gns when snapped up by Ahmad al Shaikh at the 2019 Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale, the gelding hails from the same family as Group 2 winner Signe Divin (Bering).
Further back this is the same family as Grade 1 winner Desert Blanc (Desert Style) and Listed winner Lumiere Noire (Dashing Blade) - with the latter being the dam of Somerville Tattersall Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) winner Witchta (No Nay Never), who finished second this year’s 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m).
Glory Maker joins the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained How Wowmantic, who landed the Kevin Hayes Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) earlier this year.
The Wow Signal has only been represented by 15 starters, with 11 of them being winners. The stallion, who struggled with fertility issues throughout his career, shuttled to Swettenham Stud in Victoria for one season, covering 43 mares and leaving 12 foals. He died in March 2018 after suffering from laminitis.
