Our Stretto Mile candidate

Press, 8 December 1988, Page 37

Our Stretto Mile candidate

By

JEFF SCOTT

Our Stretto, a 1:55 time trialist at Albion Park in Brisbane, was yesterday confirmed as a definite starter in next month’s $50,000 New Zealand Breeders’ Mile at the Canterbury Park New Year meeting.

“We’re bringing her out to New Zealand next Monday and she’ll be sent straight down to Christchurch to prepare for the race,” said National Bloodstock’s general manager, Peter Wills, yesterday. Raced by the National Bloodstock Corporation, Our Stretto will be a guest at Robert Dunn’s Broadfield stables until she completes her swan-song in the feature fillies’ and mares’ mile at Addington on January 2.

“That will be her last race. She’ll probably go to Tuapeka Knight (1:58) to be bred with soon after the New Year meeting,” said Mr Wills.

A six-year-old daughter of El Patron, Our Stretto is trained in Sydney by the top horseman, Brian Hancock, however it will remain undecided until next week who will drive the mare at Addington. “Brian received a 28day suspension after Our Stretto ran third in the Ladyship Mile, which he appealed to allow him to drive Thorate in the Miracle Mile. His appeal comes up next Wednesday and we will have to wait and see if his suspension is quashed, or reduced, if he, is able to come to Addington,” said.Mr Wills.

At one time the fastest mare in Australia or New Zealand, before Provocative time-trialed at Albion Park in 1:53.8, Our Stretto has strong links with Canterbury. She is from the Lopez Hanover mare, Rupeeno, a lightly-raced granddaughter of Ceremonial (10 wins), this being the grand family bred by the late Ben Grice for many years.

From the same family as New Zealand’s first 2:00 mare, Haughty, Our Stretto is closely related to another smart mare in Honkin Del (12 wins), and to the smart colts and geldings, Emcee (18 wins), Skipper Ben (1:56), The jester (1:56), El Jefe (1:57.6) and Smokey Lopez (1:59.7). The winner of 35 races, Our Stretto finished unplaced for the first time

in her last 12 starts at Harold Park last Friday after receiving no luck in the running.

• Rostriever Hanover is likely to have a lead-up race for the upcoming Auckland Cup meeting in the $lO,OOO Esk Street Mobile Free-For-All over 2200 m at Invercargill next Tuesday. “If he draws good, he’ll go down. I suppose I’d

better do something with him,” said trainer-reins-man, Pat O’Reilly jun, yesterday.

Last term’s star four-year-old will only race on the first day of the Invercargill meeting however, and will miss the $25,000 Southland Times Cup on Saturday week. Rostriever Hanover and Tyron Scottie are booked to leave for Auckland on Monday week. O’Reilly then has two opportunities to race Rostriever Hanover again before the $400,000 Ansett N.Z. Auckland Cup, but feels the $20,000 City Of Sails Pace (2700 m stand) might be too close to the Cup, as this is to be run only two days before the 3200 m feature. The Southland Times Cup (CB-OC) has attracted only 10 entries, with one of those, Emcee, unlikely to contest the race after being sold to Queenslander Tony Price last week.

Entries for the mobile 2700 m race are: Sapper, That’s That, Shot, Ankorman, Final Offer, Laser Lad, Michele Bromac, Microscopic, Emcee and Rolls Hanover.

O’Reilly’s promising three-year-old, Bardolino, will now bypass the Auckland meeting. “They’re mainly 1700 m races at Auckland for him, which don’t suit, so I’ve turned him out for two weeks. I thought about keeping him going for the Champion Stakes at Ashburton on Boxing Day, but he’s got to have a spell sometime,” he said.

O’Reilly is to recommission the Plat du Jour gelding for a preparation aimed at the Derby races in the autumn.