Three time Group 1 winner Streama has emerged as the new favourite for the Group 1 $500,000 Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben on May 17 following her win at the Gold Coast last Saturday.
Streama is the new Doomben Cup favourite after winning the Hollindale Stakes above. Photo by Daniel Costello.
The Guy Walter trained Streama scored her first win since Spring last year to overpower Mr O’Ceirin to record a half length win in the Group 2 $358,000 Wimmers Soft Drinks A. D. Hollindale Stakes (1800m) and was immediately installed the $4 favourite for the weight for age Doomben Cup with Ladbrokes.com.au.
Streama was racing well below her best form during the Sydney Autumn Carnival but Walter was blaming the wet tracks for her below par performances and was unsure how the five year old would handle the heavy track at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
“The wet tracks haven’t helped her this autumn and I was worried about the heavy track at the Gold Coast but she was too good,” Walter told AAP.
“She deserves a chance at the Doomben Cup which could be her last start before she goes off to be a brood mare.”
“The mare’s racing days are numbered. She can’t have too much racing left.”
“Let’s hope we get a Doomben Cup under the belt before the owners send her to stud.”
Streama will be heading to the breeding barn at the end of this current campaign and it would be a fitting end to her illustrious career if she was to go out a Group 1 winner.
“She has been a great mare,” Walter said.
“I was very proud of her Hollindale win. She has been a lovely horse to train.”
Streama has won nine races from thirty-three starts over distances from 1200m to 2400m with three Group 1 wins beside her name.
The Stratum mare was successful in the Spring of 2011 with a win in the Group 1 $400,000 Coolmore Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick as a three year old and then came back in the following Autumn to win the Group 1 $550,000 Patinack Farm Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick.
Then last Spring as a five year old she was able to win the weight for age Group 1 $350,000 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick again.
Streama will be facing Mr O’Ceirin and Hollindale Stakes beaten favourite Junoob again in the Doomben Cup in a fortnight with Glen Boss saying that Mr O’Ceirin was the horse that would take the most benefit out the run.
“My worst fear going into the race was that it would be a solid speed and that’s what they served up,” Boss told The Sunday Mail.
“He’s not quite there yet and was still a bit fresh.
“He’s the one you want going forward. All of the others have had five or six runs and he was only second-up.”
While Nash Rawiller said to forget the run of the Chris Waller trained Junoob who was one and three quarter lengths away in fourth spot.
“He just didn’t handle the track at all,” Rawiller said.
Junoob has maintained his spot near the top of the Doomben Cup market order at $5 with Warrnambool Cup winner Akzar at $5.50.
Last Saturday’s Hawkesbury Cup winner Leebaz has been marked a $7 chance but Team Hawkes have yet to confirm a start while Mr O’Ceirin is marked at $7.50.
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