Trainer Guy Walter is ready to step his quality mare Streama up to the 1800m of the Group 2 $358,000 Wimmers Soft Drinks A. D. Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast on Saturday as she kicks off her Winter Carnival campaign.
Streama has been entered for the Wimmers Soft Drinks A D Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Streama failed to run a place from five Sydney Autumn Carnival starts but Walter was encouraged by her last start fourth to Diamond Drille in the Group 1 $1m Cellarbrations Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on April 19.
“I think she’ll be very competitive, and she raced the other day like the 1800m will really suit her,” Walter told The Daily Telegraph.
Walter has picked out the Group 1 $500,000 Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben on May 17 as one of Streama’s main winter goals and will use the Wimmers Soft Drinks A. D. Hollindale Stakes as a nice lead up to the weight for age contest two weeks later.
“She’ll head up there and run in the Hollindale with one eye on running in the Doomben Cup,’’ Walter said.
Streama hasn’t raced beyond 1600m since winning the 2012 Group 1 $550,000 Patinack Farm Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick so the step up to 1800m and then 2000m won’t be a worry for the Stratum mare.
Her other two Group 1 wins have been over the Randwick ‘mile’ with a victory in the 2001 $400,000 Coolmore Flight Stakes (1600m) as a three year old and a win at weight for age in the $350,000 George Main Stakes (1600m) in the Spring last year.
Streama performed well at last year’s Brisbane Winter Carnival with two Group 1 placings from two starts.
Her first start in Brisbane resulted with a third to the rails hugging Linton in the $1.36m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 8 followed by a second to the Chris Waller trainer Red Tracer in the Group 1 $500,000 Sky Racing Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 22.
Streama, with Blake Shinn to ride, was one of twelve nominations for the Wimmers Soft Drinks A. D. Hollindale Stakes on Monday with the Gold Coast Turf Club extending entries until Tuesday morning.
Leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller has entered last start Group 3 Neville Sellwood Stakes winner Junoob and Moriarty who finished fifth in the same race while Peter Moody has nominated Fat Al who is struggling to regain his best form since winning the Listed $150,000 Yalumba Golden Mile (1600m) at Bendigo on March 15.
Rosehill trainer Gerald Ryan has entered Angel Of Mercy who already has had a run in Brisbane and scored as an odds on favourite in the Listed $80,000 Winning Edge Trophies Members’ Handicap (1600m) at Eagle Farm on April 19.
