High-class Manhattan Rain gelding Jigsaw backed up his win in the Apache Cat Classic at Cranbourne with a dominant performance in Saturday’s Listed Premier Signs Doveton Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield.
Given a positive ride by Daniel Moor, the Cindy Alderson-trained gelding defeated the strong finisher Rose Quartz (Written Tycoon) by three-quarters of a length, with Rattle And Bang (Unencumbered) a further one and a quarter length back in third.
It was a well-deserved first stakes success for Jigsaw, who placed in the Group III Blue Diamond Prelude and Listed McKenzie Stakes.
The Lynn Alderson homebred advances his record to six wins, a second and two thirds from 16 starts, with earnings of $518,750.
Part-owner Marcus Price said Jigsaw is starting to fulfil the promise he showed early in his career.
“I think he’s gone to another level,” Price said.
“We didn’t know how he’d go today, we thought he’s back on a hard track, and he’d been racing on soft, and we thought perhaps he doesn’t like it as much as a hard track.
“I think she (Cindy) was genuinely excited. We thought it was another step today with some good opposition, so we’re delighted. Today was the testing day, we can’t be any happier.
“He’s got a great trainer in Cindy Alderson who knows how to get him right, so we’re going to have a lot of fun with Jigsaw."
A half-brother to The Listed Tasmanian Oaks runner-up Queen Adele (Adelaide), Jigsaw is the best of three winners from as many to race for the winning Lonhro mare Demandz, a daughter of the stakes-winning Commands mare Loaded Command.
Demandz has not had much luck in recent years, with two of her last three foals dying. She has a yearling filly by Foxwedge.
Jigsaw is the 16th stakes-winner for Manhattan Rain, who is standing his first season at Eddie Rigg’s Geisel Park Stud. The Group 1 winning son of Encosta de Lago retired to Arrowfield Stud in 2010 and relocated to Blue Gum Farm in 2017.
