Racing: Stratum to hit straps as sire at Rosehill

SYDNEY: First-season sire Snitzel has made a flying start to his stud career and today it could be Stratum's turn to put his name in lights.

The pair, both sons of Redoute's Choice, were from the same foal crop and were regular rivals on the racetrack, meeting nine times.

Snitzel won three of those clashes, including the 2006 Oakleigh Plate, while Stratum claimed the Golden Slipper a year earlier.

They are set to continue that rivalry at stud and Snitzel has the early points on the board, having produced city winners Chance Bye, Intertidal and One More Grand.

While juvenile colt Top Drop will be Snitzel's only runner at Rosehill today, Stratum will have three with Calendar Lass and Good Hunting in the 2-year-old fillies' race and American Crew in the colts' and geldings' division.

Good Hunting is trained by Anthony Cummings and will be making her debut after finishing runner-up at her only barrier trial at Randwick earlier this month.

Cummings has plenty of time for the youngster and said she took a lot of benefit from the trial.

"I'm pleased with the way she's come along, she's a nice filly.

"She made a few mistakes in her trial but she'll learn a lot from that."

Good Hunting is out of Canny Lad mare Can She Fly and is a half-sister to an unraced 3-year-old also prepared by Cummings called Danshee.

The latter had shown some ability and Cummings believed Stratum had the right credentials to succeed at stud so he bought Good Hunting for A$60,000 at the Melbourne Premier sale.

"I had a sister here who was going pretty well and this was a stronger type, a better type, and I thought Stratum was a pretty good chance of making it," Cummings said.

Calendar Lass is prepared by Stratum's trainer Paul Perry and will have the advantage of race experience today having won her only start on a heavy track at Muswellbrook.

American Crew, from the stable of leading trainer Chris Waller, has been unplaced at his two runs but tuned up for his Rosehill assignment with a barrier trial win at the same track on January 5.

- AAP