40th Stakes-Winner Stratum
As we eagerly await the arrival of the first foals by Stratum Star this spring, it’s great to see his much missed sire Stratum still delivering new stakes-winners.
The Darren Weir and Damian Lane show rolled on at Morphettville on Saturday with favourite Land Of Plenty scoring a hard-fought win in the $250,000 Group III R A Lee Stakes.
The 4yo son of Stratum gave Lane four of the first five winners and Weir three.
Land Of Plenty made his run down the outside to score a half head win in the 1600 metre feature..
After going through the stables of several trainers, Land Of Plenty was highly enough thought of last season to contest four Group I races in Sydney and Melbourne.
In earning his first stakes win, Land Of Plenty advances his record to four wins and six placings from 20 starts with earnings of $435,230.
Weir said the entire deserved a stakes win.
“Gee that was a good run. They seemed to be going pretty slow to me. He tacked into it well and the second horse was very gallant in defeat,” Weir said.
Lane said he had no luck in the run.
“I set him a task in a slow run race. I was back and wide and probably pressed the button a little bit too early. He stargazed a bit when I got there but when you are on quality athletes they get the job done,” Lane said.
Bred by Esplin Family, Land Of Plenty was consigned by Twin Palms Stud to the 2015 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Session 2, where he was knocked down for $80,000.
He is the eighth foal of the imported Spectrum mare Dancing (GB) who won the Grade II Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita.
Dancing’s half-sister Miss Vista also made the trip to the antipodes where she left her mark as the dam of Group I Ranvet Stakes and Group I Auckland Cup winner Zavite .
Land Of Plenty becomes the 40th stakes-winner for Stratum, whose place has been filled at Widden by his dual Group I winning son Stratum Star whose 2018 service fee has been set at $11,000.
Stratum Star covered 116 mares last spring including Exceed and Excel mare High Achiever, the dam of Saturday’s Group III SAJC Proud Miss Stakes winner She’s So High.
