Talented Puritan Captures Group 3 Manfred Stakes

Exciting three-year-old Puritan (Beneteau), has his trainer and part-owner Jason Warren looking at Group One options after the gelding produced a brilliant finish to win the Group 3 A$150,750 Manfred Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Puritan winning the Group 3 Manfred Stakes.

Puritan was purchased by Warren for NZ$80,000 from 888 Bloodstock Ltd at the 2014 NZB Ready to Run Sale.

An impressive three-length winner on debut in August, Puritan ran an unlucky fourth in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) a fortnight later.

After a brief spell, Warren was expecting a big run for the Manfred. "This horse has always given us a really big vibe. There's been something about him,” Warren said post-race.

Settling at the rear of the field by Nick Hall, Puritan produced a gutsy finish down the outside to score a half-head victory from favourite Golden Spin (Medaglia d’Oro), with Ready For Victory (More Than Ready), a length away in third.

Warren is now looking at Group One options, and has nominated Puritan for next month’s Group One Australian Guineas (1600m) and also the Group One Newmarket Handicap (1200m), both at Flemington.

Warren thinks Puritan may be best kept to the shorter distances in the immediate future, suggesting the length of his stride and the way he covers the ground are impressive attributes.

Puritan has now won two of his four starts and earned A$112,400 in stakes.

Puritan is by the ill-fated Beneteau (Redoute’s Choice), who died prematurely in 2013, and out of Mina, a winner of four races from 1200 to 1600m.