Arrowfield Stud freshman Manhattan Rain was represented by his first winner at Murwillumbah on Tuesday.

The Trevor Bailey trained filly Downtown Manhattan ran down front-runner Balendi (Raheeb) to score by a short-head in the Brisbane Bloodstock Hcp (1200m).  She had finished fourth on debut at Ipswich in January.

Downtown Manhattan (2f Manhattan Rain – Tazkara by Sinndar) was purchased by part-owner Daniel Lesjak for $32,500 at the 2013 Gold Coast Magic Millions.  Her dam is an unraced French bred mare whose first foal Rowie (Flying Spur) is a last-start Rosehill winner for Arrowfield.

Manhattan Rain had seen 12 of his first crop face the starter before the breakthrough at Murwillumbah.

An Encosta de Lago half-brother to champion sire Redoute’s Choice, he was a Group 1 winner of the 2009 AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes and returned as a three year-old for Group 1 placings behind Starspangledbanner in the Caulfield Guineas and So You Think in the Cox Plate.

Manhattan Rain has several more winners in the pipeline including the Gai Waterhouse trained stablemates Chengdu and Giuliani.  He stood for a $27,500 (inc gst) fee at Arrowfield last year.