Blue Gum Farm’s Manhattan Rain added a new stakes-winner to his tally on Sunday when progressive sprinter Excelling took out the Merlion Trophy Sng G2 for Australian Hall of Fame trainer Lee Freedman.
Sent out as a longshot, Excelling scored a half length win in the feature sprint vindicating the faith of his trainer.
A $50,000 NZB Ready to Run purchase for Pride Racing from the Riversley Park draft, Excelling started his career in Sydney with Joe Pride and won races at Gosford and Kembla before joining the Lee Freedman stable in Singapore.
“I would like to pay tribute to Constance Cheng. I bought that horse for her but she decided not to take him, and that’s when I found other owners for him,” said Freedman.
“I’d also like to thank Shane Baertschiger. He’s the one who told me I’d be mad not to run Excelling in the Merlion Trophy, thanks Shane!
“He had the winkers on to focus him up, but I didn’t know if they would work.”
A half-brother to stakes-placed Miracle the Second, Excelling is the best of six winners from Princess Ruhie, a daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus (USA).
Princess Ruhi has unraced two and three year-olds by Crackerjack King (IRE) and was covered by Rebel Raider last year.
Excelling is the 14th stakes-winner for Manhattan Rain, who stands at a fee of $13,200.
