Darley Australia’s plan to reinvent the southern hemisphere stud career of shuttle stallion Street Cry will have its first test under racing conditions at Rosehill on Saturday.
The sire of Melbourne Cup winner Shocking, Street Cry will be represented by the pre-post favourite Crotchet in the Sydney Children’s Hospital Plate and his debut will mark the start of a new era for trainer Peter Snowden.
“Street Cry is a world-class stallion … he’s got some freaks all over the world,” Snowden said.
“He’s got nothing to prove but he hasn’t had two-year-old winners here (in Australia) yet.
“We’ve tried to accommodate him by putting speed mares to him and at this point we’ve got a couple of precocious two-year-olds.
“Hopefully we can get them up and running and get them winning early.”
Crotchet is the sixth foal of the Danehill broodmare Quarter Note and while there is no obvious speed influence in the colt’s pedigree he was sharp enough to win a Randwick 734m barrier trial last week.
“Everyone knows (Street Cry) as a Melbourne Cup-producing stallion here but we (Darley) want him known as a freak horse right across the board,” Snowden said.
“I’ve been very happy with the Street Crys and the progeny of New Approach … they’re two breeds I haven’t had before.”
Darley is up and running with its two-year-old squad for 2012-13 after Kuroshio’s Flemington win last Saturday.
And the breeding and racing powerhouse will be hoping its future stallion roster receives a monster boost through Epaulette in the Caulfield Guineas on Saturday.
As a Group One winner and a close relation to last year’s Guineas winner Helmet, Epaulette is already assured of a stud future but a victory on Saturday in one of Australia’s notable stallion-making races will confirm his standing as one of the most valuable colts in the country.
