New Stars for Stratum
A new stakes-winner and a potential new stakes-winner made it a big Saturday for our well established star sire Stratum.
Claiming his first Black Type victory at Doomben on Saturday was rapidly improving four year-old Love Rocks, who scored a bold front running victory in the Listed BRC Lough Neagh Stakes over 1350 metres.
Prepared by Steve Tregea, Love Rocks came into this tougher assignment off two easy wins in restricted grade and rose to the challenge, leading all the way and kicking on strongly to win by a length.
“I was in two minds whether to take on the best horses after his win at Doomben two weeks ago,” Steve Tregea said.
“But he thrived since that run and actually put on weight, so I thought, well, you have to test them sometimes and it may as well have been while he was in top form.”
That decision proved the correct one with Love Rocks now boasting the overall record of four wins and four placings from 11 starts with prizemoney topping $203,000.
A homebred for Windemere Stud, Love Rocks is the first winner for unraced Loveshack, a half-sister by Knowledge to stakes-winner Baqaba.
Love Rocks is the 21st stakes-winner for Stratum, who also featured with a very impressive winner at Flemington in exciting three year-old Salute to Jude.
The Robert Smerdon trained gelding resumed from a spell with a good second to highly promising Lord of the Sky and franked that form when charging away to beat older horses over 1200 metres by more than two lengths.
“That was very impressive,” said winning rider Chad Schofield.
“He’s a casual sort of horse and only does what he has to, but he gave me a great feel when he lengthened out.”
Salute to Jude carries the Iskander Racing colours and was a $125,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Widden Stud draft for astute agent Paul Willetts.
With two wins and two placings from six starts and over $90,000 in prizemoney, he is the first foal of stakes-winning General Nediym mare Sienna’s Fury, so combines the blood of two great Widden Stud favourite sires being by Golden Slipper winner Stratum.
Stratum has 17 terrific yearlings for Magic Millions.