Juvenile Winner for Stryker

Fresh from siring Rangipo to win the Group I New Zealand Derby last weekend, Stryker provided the juvenile winner at Kembla on Monday when Let’s Dream Big proved too good for the short priced favourite Taj Mahal.

 

A $450,000 Inglis Easter purchase for heavy hitters China Horse Club / Stonestreet Stables / Winstar Farm, the Peter and Paul Snowden trained More Than Ready (USA) colt Taj Mahal was expected to return from spelling a winner, but Let’s Dream Big had other ideas.

Ridden positively from the gate by Winona Costin, Let’s Dream Big found the front and refused to give in scoring a short half head win over the colt in the 1200 metre maiden.

Sent out at odds of $41, Let’s Dream Big had failed to flatter in two trials, but was a different horse on race day.

“I didn’t think she could win,” confessed winning trainer Lee Curtis. “Her trackwork was good at home, but in the trials she did nothing.

“I put blinkers on her and she worked the same as she had before, but I thought she was fit and ready for a race so decided to send her around.

“I thought maybe she had been field shy in the trials so asked Winona to rider her forward from the gate and see what she could do.”

She did enough to win!

Purchased for just $3,750 from the Morning Rise Stud draft at the Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale, Let’s Dream Big has already recouped costs.

She is the sixth winner from Classic Dream, a daughter of former brilliant juvenile stakes-winner She’s a Pipe Dream.

Stryker has five entries for the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale starting next Monday.