Manhattan Rain mare New York Scandal has turned the corner this season winning two of her five starts for Victorian trainer Aaron Laing.

A home-town maiden win at Cranbourne was all she had to show in 24 starts before gaining a new lease of life since Laing returned from an enforced spell on the sidelines.  “She should have won three or four more but has been very unlucky for me and Nick Harnett while I was away,” Laing said after the Sportsbet Hcp (1550m) at Morphettville on Saturday.

“She came back in fantastic order from Nick and has been working brilliantly at home.  We arrived here yesterday morning to help her settle in and we were confident today.  She tries her guts out every time and Tatum (Bull) made sure she had plenty of galloping room.”

New York Scandal had been sidelined for twelve months as a younger filly with chipped knees and a fractured tibia.  Her dam Scandimania (Magnus) was Moonee Valley 55 Challenge winner and there’s substantial resident value as an immediate family member of three-time Australian Horse of the Year Black Caviar and Group 1 racehorse and sire All Too Hard.

“She’s got a mind of her own but was suited by the tempo and I was happy to sit in the three-wide line,” Bull explained.  “She’s not big but her heart is and she picked up like a nice horse in the straight.”

New York Scandal firmed from $6 into $4.40 on Saturday and she is the second Adelaide winner by Manhattan Rain this month following Sabaj who was very impressive first-up at Morphettville on September 14.  The Geisel Park sire also struck later that day with Man Crush in the Nicopolis Stakes (1200m) at Belmont.

Manhattan Rain stands for an $8,250 service fee at Geisel Park alongside Aysar ($8,800), Winning Rupert ($8,800) and All American ($4,400).  For bookings or further information, contact stud manager Conor Dunlop on 0447 434 735.