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Streama Given Chance For Perfect Farewell

3 minute read

Broodmare duties now beckon Streama after the reliable mare claimed her fourth Group 1 victory in the Doomben Cup.

Streama Picture: Racing and Sports

Having taken out the Hollindale Stakes at her previous outing, Streama was well fancied in the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m).

The ten horse field lacked depth with the Guy Walter-trained mare the only horse in the contest to have genuinely measured up at Group 1 weight-for-age level previously.

A fitting farewell for Streama had been discussed throughout the week and things began ideally for her as Blake Shinn positioned the mare third on the fence behind early leader Leebaz.

It appeared the planets were in alignment for the daughter of Stratum as she got a dream split soon after straightening before striking the front 100m from home.

Leebaz was brave in defeat while Junoob finished third.

Whilst adding another success to her Group 1 résumé, Streama is not the mare she once was as evidenced by the Timeform rating of 113 awarded to her latest winning effort.

The five-year-old also ran to this figure a fortnight earlier when claiming the Hollindale Stakes (1800m).

The mare ventured to Brisbane after a Sydney autumn where she added no further black type to her record.

Sending Streama north has reaped dividends with the mare contesting two events where she was clearly the class horse of the field.

The reason for this is the lack of overall depth the Hollindale Stakes and Doomben Cup possessed.

Last Saturday’s renewal of the Doomben Cup came in well below the prior five year winning average of the event.

It was a different type of field to what is usually attracted to the Doomben Cup.

The event during the previous five years has attracted a number middle distance types fresh off Sydney Group 1 contests.

Won by Beaten Up in 2013, the Chris Waller-trained runner held out the likes of Foreteller, Secret Admirer and Manighar who arrived in Brisbane off Sydney preparations culminating in Group 1 features.

Manighar was also there in 2012 after having won The BMW (2400m) two starts earlier.

The list of genuine Group 1 performers bolstering the strength of the Doomben Cup continues on with another recent example the 2011 renewal.

Won by Scenic Shot, the Dan Morton-trained gelding defeated My Kingdom Of Fife, Glass Harmonium and Shoot Out.

While the lead up form for these previous renewals consisted of BMW’s and Queen Elizabeth Stakes outings, lead up form for the 2014 Doomben Cup running generally consisted of Group 3 affairs.

Streama’s latest victories where opportunistic and a case of being in the right place at the right time.

Even though they weren’t vintage renewals of the Hollindale Stakes and Doomben Cup, they at least gave the mare a chance to exit racing on a deserved winning note.

Streama has been a marvel for connections having won ten of her 34 starts.

She has placed a further 13 times and amassed prizemoney earnings in excess of $2.6million.

Testament to the mares toughness, Streama is a four time Group 1 winner with victories at the top level during her two, three, four and five-year-old seasons.

During this time she achieved a master Timeform rating of 122.

Streama will go to stud in the spring and while the idea of a short preparation beforehand was raised, last Saturday’s Doomben Cup victory does shape as a perfect farewell from racing for a mare who has provided her connections with so much.