Four Metro Winners for Stratum

Stratum might not have had a stakes-winner on Saturday, but he wasn’t short of winners with four saluting at metropolitan tracks – Turquoise King (Rosehill), Bush Aviator (Doomben), Miracle the Second (Morphettville) and Epic (Doomben).

Four year old Stratum gelding Turquoise King improved on his excellent record to score a short neck win in the Benchmark  85 event over 1200 metres.

Prepared by Hawkes Racing, Turquoise King has had 10 starts for five wins and four seconds earning $184,300.

“He’s a pretty fair horse,” said Michael Hawkes.

“Wayne (Hawkes) told me he would win today. He’s only going to get better as he gets older.”

Turquoise King was bred in Victoria at Rosemont Stud and sold as a yearling for $21,000 at the Magic Millions National Sale where he was snaffled by New Zealand Bloodstock.

Re-offered at their Ready to Run Sale a few months later by Phoenix Park, Turquoise King fetched $150,000.

Turquoise King is the third winner from Geiger Counter (USA) mare Girls Rule, a half-sister to stakes-winner Roll On Royce.