Streama has been included in the 2014 Wimmers Soft Drinks A.D. Hollindale Stakes field and will take on ten rivals in the Group 2 event at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Streama is chasing her first race win since she took out the George Main Stakes during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival. Photo by: Steve Hart
Streama (barrier four) was unable to replicate her best form during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival, with her best performance a sixth place finish in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 29, but she returned to a semblance of her best form with a tough fourth in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 12.
The Stratum mare is expected to be retired at the end of the racing season, but will have the opportunity to add more feature victories to her racing resume during the 2014 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival.
Leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller was narrowly denied a win in the Wimmers Soft Drinks A.D. Hollindale Stakes last year, with Foreteller finishing an unlucky second behind Lights Of Heaven, and he will be represented by both Moriarty and Junoob in this year’s race.
Junoob stamped himself as a horse to watch during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival with wins in the Listed Randwick City Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on March 15 and the Group 3 Neville Sellwood Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on April 5 and is set to start as a clear Hollindale Stakes favourite when he jumps from barrier nine on Saturday.
Waller was bullish about the chances of Moriarty heading into this autumn preparation, but the Clodovil gelding has failed to fire in his past two starts and was no match for Junoob in the Neville Sellwood Stakes.
Peter Moody is chasing back-to-back wins in the Hollindale Stakes after including Fat Al in the field for the Group 1 event.
Fat Al scored an impressive win in the Listed Golden Mile (1600m) at Bendigo on March 15, but he was clearly outclassed in both the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 29 and the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 12.
The Al Maher gelding will be stepping up to 1800 metres for the first time since he won the Group 3 Frank Packer Plate (2000m) during the 2012 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival and is set to jump from barrier eight with Chris Munce on his back.
One of the most interesting runners in the 2014 Hollindale Stakes field is New Zealand-trained Military Move, who will be making his Australian racing debut on Saturday.
Military Move won the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) back in 2010 and, after an unsuccessful stint in Hong Kong, has found his best form and scored an impressive win in the Group 3 Manawatu Cup (2300m) at Awapuni at the end of last year.
Veteran stayer Precedence will be returning to the races for the first time since the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival in the Hollindale Stakes, while Mr O’Ceirin will be making his first appearance at the races since he performed fairly in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) last year.
The 2014 Hollindale Stakes final field is rounded out by Grey Assignment (barrier six), Flying Home (barrier ten), Elmantosh (barrier two) and Angel Of Mercy (barrier one).
