Sydney Metro Winner for Stryker

Promising young Fastnet Rock sire Stryker has already posted metropolitan winners in Melbourne and Perth and added Sydney to the list when his talented filly Labdien kicked off her career with a debut victory at Warwick Farm on Wednesday. 

Prepared by Chris Waller as was her sire Stryker, Labdien showed ability in two barrier trials last month and was able to produce her best in the 1000 metre dash on heavy ground.

She settled a clear last for Tommy Berry, but started to tack on coming to the turn and swept home down the running to snatch a nose win over the favourite Magic Diamond.

Labdien was a $21,000 Magic Millions Weanling Sale purchase from the Widden Stud draft for long time stable Debbie Kepitis (Ingham).

“It was great to see her win for the Kepitis family as they are great supporters of the stable and we’re lucky to have them,” said Chris Waller, who trained Stryker to win several feature races for the Ingham family.

“He was a great horse. He was a Group winner and Group I placed and of course carried the cerise.

“This filly’s trials have been good, but she’s very immature and I was going to send her to the paddock, but then decided to give her one run, which is now just as well!”

Labdien will now go for that well-earned rest and should be a lovely filly for her connections in the spring.

She is the second winner for stakes-placed Fasliyev (IRE) mare Bold Moment, a daughter of Group II winner Flushed.

Labdien is the fourth winner for Three Bridges Thoroughbreds based Stryker, who also has two stakes place-getters in Miss Loren and She is Stryking.

Stryker has covered 446 mares in his first four seasons at a fee of $11,000 and his encouraging results from his first runners this season will no doubt see him popular again in 2015.