(1) Manikato Stakes-G1

Moonee Valley. August 18. $256,000. SWFA. 1200m.

1. PIAVONIC (N Rawiller 55) b/br m 6 Scenic (IRE) - Piave Girl, by Brave Salute. Trainer: A W Noonan.

2. Sunline (NZ) (N Rawiller 55) b m 6 Desert Sun (GB) - Songline, by Western Symphony (USA)

3. Falvelon (D Oliver 57.5) b h 5 Alannon - Devil's Zephyr, by Zephyr Zing (NZ)

2 len. Head. 1m 12.96s. 10 strs.

PIAVONIC (32)

Bay or brown mare foaled 1995

Breeder: Mr J M Thatcher, Vic.

Owners: R K Thatcher, Ms V A Flakemore and M R and J R Thatcher.
Click here for Tesio pedigree

Werk Nick Rating: A++

GP Inbreeding: Native Dancer 5f, 5m x. Star Kingdom x 5m, 5m.

Age	Starts	Wins	2nds	3rds
2	-	-	-	-
3	8	3	2	-
4	10	2	1	1
5	12	3	3	1
6	2	1	1	-
	32	9	7	2

Sire: SCENIC (IRE) - Bay 1986. Group I winner; 4 wins, Dewhurst S-G1, Scottish Classic-G3, 3d St James's Palace S-G1. Closely related to I WILL FOLLOW, RAINBOW QUEST, SLIGHTLY DANGEROUS, COMMANDER IN CHIEF, WARNING. To stud in Ireland and Australia in 1990. Standing at Durham Lodge, Muchea, WA. Sire of 361 winners of $32 million - 35 SWs inc UNIVERSAL PRINCE, BLEVIC, EPISODE, LOCHRAE, SHAME, SCENIC ROYALE, LORD ESSEX, BACKDROP, MAGNETO, MAJESTIC DAWN, MOLTA BELLA, STALK, BEAUTY TO PETRIOLO, VIATICUM, SPEEDFIT TOO, ELIGADO, ROBINS, GRAPHIC, ROSEBERY, MAKE A SCENE, VISUAL DISPLAYS, AMARINA, MARKET PRICE, SUNDAY GOLD, CELLAR, FRANKLIN RIVERS, EVOCATIVE, COUNT SCENARIO, TYPHOON BARNEY, MAJESTIC AVENUE, BRIGHTER SCENE, DASHING SCENE, PIAVONIC, PANORAMIC LAD, ARIOSTA, etc.

Dam

Piave Girl (1987). 4 wins, $136,100, 1000m-1100m, VATC Zephyr Bay H, SAJC Navarino H, Shako H, 5DN H, 2d MVRC Laurent-Perrier S-G2, 4th SAJC Lightning S-G3. Dam of 4 foals, 3 raced, all winners -

93 (Unnamed) b f by Jugah (USA).

94 Stennar, br c by At Talaq (USA). 3 wins at 1200m, 1400m, VATC Galleon H.

95 PIAVONIC. 9 wins, $589,600, MVRC Manikato S-G1, Norman Carlyon S-G2, VATC Dairy Farmers' Milk S-LR, Orient H, CUB P, Winning Post H, MVRC Cutler Quality H, 2d VATC Bletchingly S-G3, Mannerism S-G3, SAJC Dermody S-G3, VATC W W Cockram S-LR, Hyderabad Race Club S-LR.

96 Bacciou, br g by Redding (NZ). 1 win at 1400m.

Mare died September 1997.

2nd Dam

BLACK SERENADE. 3 wins at 1050m, 1200m, SAJC Improvers H. Dam of 8 foals, all winners inc -

Piave Girl. See above.

Segusino. 6 wins, at 1000m, SAJC Quit & Win H, P Elberg S, Atropine H, Three Day Event H, 2d SAJC Balcrest S-LR.

Rubra Lass. 1 win at 1000m, SAJC Connoisseur Collection H, 2d SAJC Balcrest H-LR.

Belle Uno. 2 wins at 1200m, 1500m, VATC Nepean H.

3rd Dam

SERENADING. 1 win at 1100m. Dam of 8 foals, 7 raced, 6 winners inc -

DARK RHYTHM. 4 wins at 1000m, 1200m, MVRC Leilani S-G3, VATC Carnegie S, Wenona Girl H, MVRC Sterling Virginia H, 2d SAJC Breeders' S-G2, 3d VRC Moomba P-G3, Black Douglas S-LR, SAJC Queen Adelaide S-LR, 4th VATC Blue Diamond Prelude-LR. Dam of -

RAISE A RHYTHM. 5 wins, $272,270, at 1000m, 1100m, VRC Maribyrnong P-G2, VATC Blue Diamond Prelude-G3, MVRC Champagne S-LR, VATC Sebel of Melbourne H, SAJC Manihi Quality H, 2d VRC A V Kewney S-G2, VATC Blue Diamond Prelude-G3, The Mercedes-Benz-LR, 3d VATC Dalgety S-G3, 4th VATC Blue Diamond S-G1, MVRC William Reid S-G1, VRC Hilton on the Park S-G3, MVRC William Crockett S-LR. Dam of -

OAMARU RHYTHM. 6 wins, $176,100, MVRC Leslie Froggatt S-LR, Battle Heights H, VATC Soultine H, Chubb Security P, BTC Club Conrad H, 2d VRC Bob Hoysted S-LR, 3d VATC Wellington Racing Club S-LR.

BIRA. 2 wins, $79,000, at 1000m, VRC Anderson Consulting S-LR, VATC 4up Class 6 H, 3d MVRC Collingrove S-LR.

Special Guest. 2 wins at 1050m, 1400m, SAJC Lindsay Park H.

Like a Taj. 8 wins, 1200m-2100m.

Rapid Roy. 7 wins, 1000m-2400m.

4th Dam

LA PAZ. 4 wins at 6f, VRC Nurses S, Lawn H, VATC Mentone H, MVRC Laluma H. Half-sister to Grey Haze (2d QTC Queensland Oaks), and to the dam of INSHALLAH (AJC St Leger-G2), CONCORDANCE (STC N E Manion Cup-G3). Dam of 9 foals, all raced, 7 winners inc -

Class Above. 4 wins at 1000m, 1300m, WATC Gimcrack S, Beach H, Hillview H, Graduation S, 3d WATC Queen's P, Farnley Quality H. Dam of-

Kalamunda Road. 6 wins, 1000m-1600m, WATC Le Var H, Smith H, Hunder Old H, Graduation S, 3 times, 3d WATC Belmont Guineas-G3.

Aryan Star. 2 wins at 1100m, 2d WATC Lindsay Rosenthal S-LR. Producer.

After collecting Horse of the Year awards again, her third straight in NZ and second in Australia, Sunline was expected to successfully defend the Manikato. But the script and events parted company within the short Moonee Valley straight as Piavonic roared past after being put into the race from well back with a perfectly-timed rush by jockey Nash Rawiller. It's the first time six-year-old mares have run 1-2 in the 33 Freeway/Manikato editions, 6yo males supplying the 1996 quinella. Coming off a Bletchingly-Gr.3 second, Piavonic put her trainer Tony Noonan and Rawiller on the Gr.1 scoreboard. Noonan has prepared a great many winners from Kilmore and in the past nine years, Mornington.

Bred by John Thatcher and raced by his family, Piavonic is from the deceased Piave Girl, a winner of $136,100 for Thatcher out of the Max Hinton stable. It provides yet another success from breeding Scenic to Star Kingdom line mares - Universal Prince is one notable example. Piave Girl is by Without Fear's talented miler son Brave Salute, who left just four crops, but Piavonic's second and third dams are by descendents of Baramul's king.

Although renowned as a Moonee Valley and wet track specialist, Sunline was outscored in that department by Piavonic and seems to appreciate the wet less now. The durable and honest 10yo Sir Boom ran seventh at his seventh Manikato attempt.