THE HOLLINDALE STAKES - STREAMA SETS UP HER GRAND FINAL. DOOMBEN CUP MISSION CONFIRMED
By Graham Potter | Monday, May 5, 2014
The Guy Walter trained mare Streama will head for the Doomben Cup on May 17 after claiming a scintillating victory in the Group 2, AD Hollindale stakes over 1800m at the Gold Coast.
The Doomben Cup, a Group 1 event over 2000m, could well be the last race that Streama contests before going to stud.
The Doomben Cup could also prove a case of third-time lucky for Streama in terms of attempting to land a Group 1 success in Queensland. Last year Streama finished third in the Stradbroke Handicap, just a length off Linton, and second in the Tatts Tiara, 2.50 lengths behind Red Tracer – both in Group 1 company – in her only two appearances in the state.
The Hollindale was Streama’s ninth career success in thirty-three starts during which time she has amassed just over $2.3 million in stake earnings.
“I was worried because it was wet and I think she is a better mare on top of the ground,” admitted Walter.
“She’s had a great career. She can’t have too much racing left but she has really been a wonderful mare. She’s won three Group 1’s. She won an Oaks and don’t forget she’s ran second in the Vinery to Mosheen.
“She is an absolutely top class mare and she showed that today.
“She’s won from 1200m to a mile-and-a-half in top company and it’s great that she’s now got this race on her CV.”
And she had to win it. This was no ‘gimme’ for Streama with Mr O’Ceirin and Glen Boss setting a lively target in the straight after taking the short way home on the turn, with Moriarty snapping at her heels and the old warrior Precedence kicking on well along the outside to be a danger.
But Blake Shinn had rated Streama superbly and the five-year-old showed both the ability and the willingness to play a winning hand when she responded with meaning to all challenges, mowing down Mr O’Ceirin when it mattered most while also doing enough to make certain that any challenge from behind would only be one for the minor placings.
The first two runners past the post in the Hollindale will renew their rivalry in the Doomben Cup after trainer Ceiron Maher confirmed Mr O’Ceirin’s place in the line-up immediately after the New Zealand bred gelding had posted his second placing in the Hollindale.
Mr O’Ceirin was second-up in the Hollindale, having been out of action prior to his first-up run at Caulfield for six months, and Maher was rapt with his performance.
''We thought he might need the run today and he did,'' said Maher. "It was a great run and he will be a lot fitter for that. We’ll be ready for the Doomben Cup.“
LOOKING FORWARD:
Twenty-seven horses have been nominated for the Doomben Cup. Nine of those nominated horses ran the Hollindale Stakes and their respective finishing (lengths behind) positions for that race are recorded next to their names in the nominations listing.
Please note when assessing these performances that the Gold Coast track was a Heavy 8 for the Hollindale which was run over 1800m. (The Doomben Cup is a 2000m event).
The degree to which ‘standard’ runs were affected by the track conditions can be gauged by the fact that the winner, Streama, stopped the clock in 1.53.17 seconds as opposed to the time of 1.49.55 recorded by last year’s race winner, Lights Of Heaven. *The long standing race and course record time of 1.45.92 seconds was recorded by This Manshood ten years ago.
THE FULL LIST OF DOOMBEN CUP NOMINATIONS:
1 AKZAR (IRE) Darren Weir
2 ANGEL OF MERCY Gerald Ryan – Finished 6.50 lengths behind Streama at level weights
3 COOLDINI Robert Smerdon
4 DANCHAI (GB) Chris Waller
5 ELMANTOSH Bruce W Hill – Finished 17.00 lengths behind Streama carrying 2kg more than the winner
6 FAT AL Peter G Moody - Finished 5.70 lengths behind Streama carrying 2kg more than the winner
7 FLORIA (NZ) Peter G Moody
8 FLYING HOME Barry Baldwin – Finished 16.50 lengths behind Streama carrying 2kg more than the winner
9 FULL OF SPIRIT Peter G Moody
10 GREY ASSIGNMENT Brian Smith – Finished 4.70 lengths behind Streama carrying 2kg more than the winner
11 HERA (NZ) Kris Lees
12 IGGI POP (NZ) John Sargent
13 I’M IMPOSING (GB) Chris Waller
14 JUNOOB (GB) Chris Waller – Finished 1.80 lengths behind Streama carrying 2kg more than the winner
15 KITTEN ON THE RUN (USA) Peter G Moody
16 LEEBAZ (NZ) Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes
17 LUCKY CHAPPY (IRE) Chris Waller
18 MORIARTY (IRE) Chris Waller – Finished 1.90 lengths behind Streama carrying 2kg more than the winner
19 MR O’CEIRIN (NZ) Ciaron Maher – Finished 0.50 lengths behind Streama carrying 2kg more than the winner.
20 PERFECT START (NZ) Wayne Hillis
21 PRETTY PINS (NZ) John P Thompson
22 SCAPOLO (NZ) Kevin Myers
23 SLOW PACE (USA) Kris Lees
24 STREAMA Guy Walter – Hollindale winner.
25 TRADE COMMISSIONER (IRE) Chris Waller
26 VILANOVA (NZ) Chris Waller
27 WALDPARK (GER) Anthony Freedman
LOOKING BACK:
THE HOLLINDALE STEWARDS REPORT:
FLYING HOME (J. Byrne) raced ungenerously in the early stages of the race. JUNOOB (N. Rawiller) was momentarily tightened for room near the home turn between PRECEDENCE (G. Colless) and MORIARTY (C. Newitt), which shifted in.
L. Cassidy the rider of GREY ASSIGNMENT was reprimanded for using his whip in a forehand manner on more than 5 occasions prior to the 100m.
N. Rawiller the rider of JUNOOB was fined the sum of $200.00 for using his whip in a forehand manner on 6 occasions prior to the 100m and in consecutive strides.
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