Hong Kong trainer Manfred Man is having a quiet season by his standards but he produced one for the future with Jade Theatre on Wednesday evening.
The Pluck 3yo powered home to claim the Staunton Hcp (1200m) when racing first-up at Happy Valley. Punters allowed the Kiwi import to go out at $22 even though he had put the writing on the wall over a shorter trip at Sha Tin in April.
Jade Theatre raced as Gasoline in New Zealand and was the first ever winner for Vinery sire Pluck (USA) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day 2015. “He’s a really good horse,” jockey Opie Bosson said after the breakthrough. “He’s got a very good temperament and I think he will turn into a great three-year-old.”
Bred by Todd Hartley, he was initially owned by the same syndicate that raced Group 1 winner Turn Me Loose (NZ 2000 Guineas & VRC Emirates Stakes).
Trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman also lost stablemate Pluck That to Manfred Man last year. He finished fourth on debut in the LR Castletown Stakes at Wanganui and has been registered as Winwin Ruby in Hong Kong.
Pluck’s 3yo filly Hidden Fortune won again at Balaklava on Wednesday and his last-start Moe winner She’s A Pluck steps up for a city outing at Moonee Valley this Saturday.
Vinery stands Pluck for a $9,900 (inc. GST) service fee. He’s a Top 10 second-crop sire in Australia with the winners of 32 races and over $1 million in prizemoney this season.
