Alert To Stamp Karuta's Form
- Wednesday, 15 December 2010 01:15
With a trial win over unbeaten Magic Millions favourite Karuta Queen to her credit, the debut of Strike Alert at Queanbeyan on Thursday holds great interest.
Prepared by the juvenile filly's owner-breeder Neil Osborne, based at Sutton northeast of Canberra, Strike Alert steps out in the Tony Campbell-Cleary Racing Maiden Plate (900m).
And Osborne admits Strike Alert's debut and future excites him.
"She excites me alright, she can certainly gallop and there's room for development," Osborne said.
"When you watch her she can quicken, really quicken, capable of running very good sectionals.
"She's only small, weighs only 420 kilos, but she just continues to improve.
"If she wins tomorrow I'll probably give her one more run then get her ready for the Black Opal Prelude and Black Opal in March."
Strike Alert beat Neville Layt's flyer Karuta Queen in a 900m trial at Canberra on October 1.
While Karuta Queen has gone on to great success with three wins including an emphatic victory in the $200,000 Magic Millions at Wyong early this month, Osborne was content to bide his time with Strike Alert.
Following the trial Osborne turned Strike Alert out for a month's break.
"She was nominated for a two-year-old race on Canberra Cup day but wasn't quite ready," Osborne said.
"I then had her at Coffs Harbour, the meeting got washed out, then I was going to Narromine Monday but couldn't get there because of the floods.
"I'm happy to go around at Queanbeyan."
Strike Alert is by Argentinean sire Alert out of Strike Time (by Switch In Time), a mare purchased by Osborne from Canberra trainer Rado Boljun for $10,000.
Strike Time's purchase has proved to be a windfall for Osborne.
He sold a yearling, Beautiful Timing, to Paul Murray for $40,000 with that gelding winning the Wagga Guineas, and a Show Of Heart colt to China for $70,000.
"I've got an unraced three-year-old by Johannesburg at home and a weanling full-brother to Beautiful Timing. Strike Time is back in foal to Alert, a sire I have a share in," Sutton said.
Strike Alert was broken in by Danny Parsons at Cowra after Osborne decided to keep the filly when she was not accepted for the Inglis Classic Sale.
A win by the filly on Thursday would break an exasperating losing streak for the trainer.
"I've had six seconds and six thirds from 35 runners but haven't won a race since Friskee at the Cootamundra picnics eight months ago," Osborne said.
"It would be nice to break the drought."
