Gangster’s Choice Continues Stratum Hot Run

Sydney – 12 August, 2012

Golden Slipper winner Stratum has started the new season in hot form posting 10 winners since August 1.

A $100,000 purchase for Vin Cox Bloodstock from the Twin Palms Stud draft at the 2009 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, the John O’Shea trained Gangster’s Choice resumed from a spell to score a stylish victory in the Benchmark 85 event over 1400 metres at Warwick Farm on Saturday.

“He came back to me a little on the line, I think maybe his condition got the better of him,” said winning rider Glyn Schofield.

“He jumped and travelled well and made good use of his big stride. He’s a lovely horse to ride. He’s big, he’s strong and he’s bold.”

O’Shea’s stable foreman Bryce Heys said Gangster’s Choice, who placed in a recent trial behind stakes performed gallopers, was the type of horse that could “end up in a nice race one day”.

“He’s a horse that wasn’t overly fancied when he came into the yard as a youngster,” Heys said.

“He’s been given time to mature. He’s always been able to gallop and we’ve held him together.

“His trials were good and he looked to get a lovely run on paper and that was the case.”

Gangster’s Choice has the tidy overall record of five wins and three seconds from just 12 starts with prizemoney in excess of $138,999.

Gangster’s Choice is the first winner for Brave Choice, a half-sister to Group I Brave Prince and stakes-winner Valourina, the dam of Group II winners Media and Timbourina.

Stratum sired 100 Australian winners for the first time last season and is well established as a leading source of winners and stakes horses standing at a fee of $44,000.