First Winner For Strategic News(AUS)

Gr1 Summer Cup winner and one of Rathmor’s resident sires, Strategic News(AUS) had his first winner at Greyville on the polytrack yesterday for breeder/owner Jurie Snyman, a victory made all the more sweeter for the share-holder of Strategic News.

Beautifully-bred Strategic’s Pride won easily by over four lengths over 1600m for trainer Sean Tarry, under jockey Anthony Delpech from Call The Clown (Fort Beluga), Ice Pack (Western Winter) and Chillingham (Mullins Bay). The three year old colt has been looking for the win, consistently placing over his three previous starts.

Out of Giant’s Causeway mare Giant’s Jewel(AUS) residing at Rathmor Stud, she had three wins and placed eight times – including a second in the Gr 2 Sceptre Stakes. Giant’s Jewel is out of a Seattle Slew mare Super Seleccion – who has produced eight runners and eight winners, from Australia to Hong Kong. This is the dam-line of dual American Gr 1 winner and sire Slew City Slew, French Gr 3 winner Black Rock Desert and Japanese Group winner Tokyo Seattle. The mare has since produced two more foals by Strategic News, a two year old filly and a yearling colt.

Strategic News is an imposing chestnut stallion, the only son of Strategic and grandson of Grand Lodge standing at stud in South Africa. His first yearlings sold at the 2013 KZN Yearling Sale, averaging R170 000 each for the two consigned and sold.

Strategic News won a total of five times in South Africa and Dubai over distances of 1600m to 2000m and placed five times.

At three he placed in the Gr3 Jubilee Handicap and went onto win the Gr1 Steinhoff Summer Cup over 2000 metres by almost three lengths under the care of trainer Dylan Cunha, who bought Strategic News from the Magic Millions Yearling Sale in Australia.

Strategic News was sent into training with Herman Brown Jnr and exported to Dubai, where he went on to win the Dubal Casthouse Handicap on turf, at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai, over 1600 metres by a length and half. A month later, again in Dubai at Nad Al Sheba, over turf (2000m) he ran second by a nose to Pompeyano(IRE).

Mike McHardy of Rathmor Stud describes the stallion as being a big (he stands at 16.2hh) well-natured horse. “He is a well put-together, big and athletic individual. He is very correct. He is passing these qualities onto his foals which are substantial, well conformed and well grown weanlings. I am very impressed with the individuals. He had a small first book of top quality mares that are both well-bred and well-performed.”

His sire Strategic (Zedative – Sudden Impulse by Luskin Star) stands at Darley Australia. Strategic has sired 25 Stakes winners to date including Gr1 winning filly Platelet, Champagne Stakes winning Meurice – a Champion Two Year Old colt, along with another Gr1 winner Mistegic. However Strategic News remains one of his best performed sons. Strategic was voted Champion freshman sire in Australia.

Strategic himself had 18 starts, seven wins and six places, four of those wins being Group 1, 2 and 3. He currently stands at Darley Australia, who describe Strategic as an “All-Australian powerhouse, who passes on speed and strength.”

Holding an impressive statistic of producing 64% winners to runners, Darley Australia boast that each of his winners average three victories in their racing careers.

The dam of Strategic News, Sensous, changed hands in 2008 for $270 000 at the Magic Millions Broodmare Select Session. She is by Grand Lodge out of Australian mare Montessori by Marauding, in turn out of a Lomond/Pitskelly mare, and has produced three other winners.

She is a half-sister to two Bold Black Type winners in Australia; with De France (Grade 2 winner of the Pago Pago Stakes over 1200m) and a full sibling to De France named Whistler, winner of the Grade 3 Fernhill Handicap. Sensuous has a full-brother who won in Australia over 1600m. Strategic News was her first foal.

Broodmare-sire Grand Lodge was rated Europe’s leading Two Year Old in 1993. He won two Group One races; the Dewhurst Stakes and St James Palace Stakes. He was retired to Coolmore Stud and shuttled extensively between Ireland, England and Australia. At the time of his death in 2004, his service fee had been set at 50 000 Euros.

A Sire-Of-Sires, Grand Lodge is probably best remembered for his son Sinndar – the only horse to have won the English Derby, Irish Derby and the Arc de’ Triomphe in the same year.

Strategic News stands for a fee of R20 000 this season.