Winner: Rainsun Shines Again

On his home track at Cranbourne (Victoria), Rainsun (3 g The Autumn Sun – Raindrops On Roses, by High Chaparral) made it two wins from three starts when claiming the A$35,000 Cloudcon Construction Software Benchmark 66 2025 metres on 21 June. 

The only runner on the card for Te Akau trainer Mark Walker, Rainsun followed a debut second with an irresistible finish to win the Maiden 1715 metres on 4 June at Geelong, and although up in grade he was ideally drawn (4) to race well again.

Ridden by Lachlan Neindorf, who has a good association with the stable, Rainsun was initially in midfield before getting shuffled back, but began to make headway around runners approaching the 600m, looked a distinct danger turning for home, and outstayed his rivals with another strong finish. 

Being a direct descendant of Melbourne Cup winner Let’s Elope (Nassipour), it was the type of victory his illustrious grandmother would be proud of, given she too possessed a big finish.

“He gave me a lovely feel and the team has always had an opinion of him,” Neindorf said. “His form had been stacking up nicely for a stayer on the rise.

“He was entered (A$150,000 3YO 2000m) on Saturday at Flemington, but he didn’t gain a start because there were no scratchings, and that shows the belief they have in him.

“He was able to show a turn of foot from the 800m to the 600m to put himself in the race and prove that he could stay.  The pace was a bit muddling, as it can be here, but I just wanted to get him into clear air and knew that the main dangers were up on the speed. 

“Mark (Walker) was saying that he’s got a 2500-metre race in mind for him and he does everything right to get that. He’ll be hard to beat wherever he goes.”

On footing upgraded to Soft7, Rainsun ran 2025 metres in 2:09.4, last 600m in 36.1, and paid $4.60 & $1.80 on the NZ TAB tote. 

“He obviously had to make a long, sustained, run and it was a really good effort,” Walker said. “He’s only going to get better with more time and more age, especially with the dour staying pedigree that he’s got.”

The next race for Rainsun is the A$200,000 Mahogany Challenge Final (3YO 2500m) on Saturday 4 July at Flemington.

“That will be his grand final for this campaign, and he’s certainly a nice, progressive, staying horse,” Walker added. “It’s great to have this horse racing well and win again in those colours for Carson Jiang and his father.

“We’ll give him a break after his next run, but both Ben (Gleeson) and I like his staying prospects and it will be interesting to see where he might end up getting to in the spring.”

Owned by Ms Angela Jiang, Rainsun was purchased by bloodstock agent S C Lam for A$250,000 at the Inglis 2024 Ready2Run Sale, from the draft of Valiant Stud.

Rainsun is by brilliant two and three-year-old racehorse The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice), who included five Group One wins in a career of eight wins from nine starts, while winning Australian Champion 3YO Colt in 2018/19.

Standing at Arrowfield Stud (NSW), The Autumn Sun has made an impressive start to his stud career, led by triple Group One winner Autumn Glow and dual Group One winner Autumn Boy, and he stands this season for A$137,500.

His dam Raindrops On Roses (High Chaparral), winner of four races 2000m – 2500m, is a half-sister to Group Three winner Let’s Make A Deal, each out Danehill (Danzig) mare Let’s Get Famous.

The third dam is Australian Horse of the Year and 1991 Melbourne Cup winner Let’s Elope (Nassipour), who became the ninth of 12 Melbourne Cup winners for legendary trainer Bart Cummings, after she was originally purchased as a yearling in New Zealand.

Famously, in the space of 16-days, Let’s Elope won the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m), Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m), and Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) in 1991.

Rainsun carries the highly regarded bloodlines crosses of both Danehill and Sadler’s Wells. 

Rainsun was strapped by Camelle Davies.