Racing: Hutchins keen to end campaign with win

Michael Rodd. Photo / Christine Cornege

MELBOURNE - East Victorian trainer Ian Hutchins is hoping promising three-year-old Stroemsky can go to the paddock on a winning note as he comes to the end of his initial preparation at Sandown today.

Stroemsky is a maiden after three starts but put the writing on the wall for a coming win when he charged home, after ducking in, to finish a long neck second to Blonde Mafia in a 1700m maiden on his home track at Sale on November 17.

"He's a promising horse. He's been given plenty of time," Hutchins said.

"If he hadn't have ducked in the other day he definitely would have won. It was a good effort."

The gelding, a son of multiple group one winner Elvstroem, goes to town for the first time in the Bolland Hcp (1600m) and will be ridden by Glen Boss, who rode him at Sale.

"Glen gave me a good report the other day," Hutchins said.

"He's taken a lot of time. When he first came into work he was a pretty crook horse with a blood disorder but we've built him up and he's done very, very well so I'm very happy with him.

"This will be his fourth run and win, lose or draw he'll be going to the paddock."

Hutchins said he advised part-owner Kerry Selleck that the Elvstroem stock would be too dear to buy.

"So we went and bought the mare and this is the progeny," he said. Stroemsky is out of the Umatilla mare Umansky who won three races and has had six foals to race for four winners, including metropolitan winners Bella Jinsky and Murcielago.

The gelding is from the same family as group three Tokyo City Cup winner Si Senor and multiple stakeswinner Bello Signor.

Among Stroemsky's eight rivals is topweight Crawfish, who is also by Caulfield Cup and Dubai Duty Free winner Elvstroem.

The Mick Price-trained colt finished a length fourth to Backgammon in the Myer Fashion Stakes (1800m) at Flemington on Oaks day after being beaten a long neck when runner-up to Shadows In The Sun over 1600m at Caulfield on Thousand Guineas Day.

Meanwhile, the Danny O'Brien-trained Cabeza resumes in the Betfair Hcp (1400m) after being gelded, while the Mark Kavanagh-trained War Ends resumes in the Friday After 3 Club At Highways Hcp (1200m) having had the same procedure.

Zabeel four-year-old Cabeza, to be ridden by Dwayne Dunn, hasn't raced since finishing 17th to Dariana in the Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 12.

Michael Rodd's mount War Ends hasn't raced since finishing eighth to Rothesay in the Queensland Guineas (1600m) at the same meeting.

- AAP