Racing: Dutch Striker accomplishes initial goal

The handicapper will dictate the future of Dutch Striker after she won well above her grade in the $20,000 Woodville Cup on Saturday.

Dutch Striker was eligible for Rating 80 races, which is effectively two or three grades down from the open handicap conditions of Saturday's 1600m race at Woodville.

Otaki trainer Howie Mathews hopes the win will earn Dutch Striker enough rating points to gain a start in one of the country's toughest intermediate grade races, the $60,000 Douro Cup (1600m) at Trentham, Wellington, on January 30.

But at the same time, Mathews is wary of how the horse would be handicapped in other races because her small size suggests she may not be up to carrying big weights.

"She's not an overly big mare," Mathews said.

"I would have to plan what she does very closely. Once she starts getting up in the handicaps she could find it tough. She's only about 15.2 hands tall."

Punters were not deterred by Dutch Striker racing well out of her grade. She was sent out a $4.50 second favourite, although it was far from a strong open handicap.

Her chances were enhanced when the favourite Grand Canyon broke down in the middle stages of the race and badly hampered some of the leading chances.

Dutch Striker was given a good run by jockey Lisa Allpress to trail the leader, Always Dreaming, most of the way and came through on the inner in the straight to beat the pacemaker by half a head. Mathews said Allpress told him Dutch Striker was not about to give it away over the concluding stages and could have sustained the run for longer.

It was at the same meeting last year that Dutch Striker cleared maidens and her record is now 13 starts for four wins and a second for stakes of $60,000.

The Van Nistelrooy 4-year-old was bought for $30,000 at the 2007 National Yearling Sales in Auckland by the late Trentham trainer Brent Hrstich.

One of the horse's breeders, David Butler, subsequently bought back into Dutch Striker, with many of the syndicate that raced stakes winner True Valour from the Mathews' stable.

Mathews said in the autumn he would consider Dutch Striker for a race like the group two $85,000 weight-for-age Travis Stakes (2000m) for fillies and mares at Te Rapa, Hamilton, on May 1.

"I haven't over-taxed her. I'd probably only give her the one run at Trentham and then a short let-up before looking at something like that race at Te Rapa," he said.

"She's a filly that will go on with it. Next year she'll be even stronger and better."

Grand Canyon badly injured a back leg and was euthanased, while his rider, Noel Harris, stood down for his remaining ride of the day with an eye injury.

Earlier on the day's programme, Levin Classic winner Eileen Dubh justified her $1.90 favouritism to easily win a $10,000 race over 1400m for 3 and 4-year-olds.

The Storm Creek filly settled fourth on the outer for rider Jonathan Riddell in a field of six, ranged up to the lead early in the run home and came clear with little effort to score by 1 lengths.

Her next assignment is the group three $70,000 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) for 3-year-old fillies at Trentham on January 30.

A longer-term goal at the same track is the group one $300,000 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) on March 20.

- NZPA