The maiden victory of the John Sadler-trained three-year-old Manhattan Spector at Ballarat on Sunday provided his Group 1-winning sire Pure Champion with his first winner. Ridden by Regan Bayliss, Manhattan Spector sat outside the leader throughout and out-toughed his rivals over 1500m, having placed at his previous outing at Werribee.
Pure Champion retired to Mike and Barbara Cooney’s Willow Glen Stud in Waimate in 2015 and Manhattan Spector is one of 15 foals from his first crop. A son of Footstepsinthesand, Pure Champion began his career in Ireland for trainer Aidan O’Brien where he was a Group 3 winner before continuing his career in Hong Kong where he was a multiple stakes winner for Tony Cruz. Then transferred to Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott in New Zealand, Pure Champion landed his Group 1 win in the Windsor Park Plate (1600m).
Initially sold by Willow Glen Stud as a yearling at the South Island Sale for $7,000, Manhattan Spector was presented at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale by Bill Thurlow’s Stainley Park, where he fetched $70,000 to the bid of John Sadler and Suman Hedge.
“Pure Champion has a number of exciting trials performers, which includes Celebre, an impressive trial winner for John Bell,” Barbara Cooney said. “Willow Glen Stud is offering several yearlings by Pure Champion at the 2020 NZB South Island Sale which will be conducted through the Gavelhouse Plus platform at the beginning of June. “Amongst our draft is an attractive full sister to Manhattan Spector, so we were delighted to see him win so well.”