For the second time in three years Clinton McDonald is the ‘King of the Kids’ with Streisand taking out Victoria’s premier two-year-old race at Caulfield.
McDonald claimed the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) two years ago with the ill-fated Hayasugi and it was another filly, Streisand, who took honours on Saturday.
Hayasugi was ridden to victory by Jamie Melham, but this time around it was her husband Ben Melham who had the steer on Streisand, giving the filly an uninterrupted passage.
Sitting three-wide in third position outside the leaders Lady Moscato and Closer To Free, Melham had Streisand, who was wearing blinkers for the first time, travelling comfortably a length off that pair.
After balancing for the run home, Streisand and Closer To Free singled out and it was only over the concluding stages Streisand got the upperhand.
Streisand ($11) eventually drew clear to score by three-quarters-of-a-length from the $4.60 favourite Closer To Free with Guest House ($4.80) closing off for third to give the Melham household a first and third finish.
A daughter of Magnus from the Zoustar mare Zouper Star, Streisand entered Saturday’s race the most experienced galloper in the 16-horse field having been to the races four times previously.
McDonald followed a similar campaign when preparing Hayasugi for her victory and the Cranbourne-based trainer again could not believe what price his filly went around on Saturday.
“She’s very similar to Hayasugi, very understated,” McDonald said.
“Hayasugi won by a head in the Prelude and everyone wrote her off in the Diamond and she went around, I think, at $18, and it was the same with this filly.
“She ran second twice, beaten a short-half-head twice, ran fifth and was unlucky and won at her fourth start.
“I thought ‘have I got this wrong, I think she’s going alright this filly’, and I’ve said all along she’s had a solid preparation, a faultless preparation, and she’s tough,
“And that’s what you need to win these races.
“I just thought she was the most seasoned horse in the race. The way she walked around the mounting yard it was like she’s done it her whole life, and she raced that way.
“It’s just terrific, look out tonight.”
Melham said it had been a long-range plan to win the Diamond.
He said, while winless, Streisand had shown exceptional form prior to Christmas before a little break and since coming back into the stable had furnished every day.
“That’s what you want to see from these two-year-olds,” Melham said.
“She’s a ready-made racehorse. Clinton and the team have done a great job.
“She’s a cranky little thing on the ground, but lovely to ride race day.
“Blinkers first time today, we always thought she’d improve with them on.
“She was a little bit sleepy going to the start, and I gave her a bit of a squeeze and then she picked up and I lit her up in the barriers a bit just to make sure she jumped because she went to sleep on me again.
“A lot of the speed didn’t jump, and we didn’t end up going that quick. I was just in a position where I could control the race and she did the rest.”
