Bigger targets in the pipeline for Stroke Of Luck?

Written by Lydia Symonds

Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan

Stroke Of Luck (Fastnet Rock) looks set for bigger and better things and he exemplified his high-class potential when beating a high-class field at Newcastle on Tuesday.

Trained by John O’Shea, the son of Fastnet Rock scooted clear in the final stages to post a facile 0.4l victory over the Team Hawkes-trained Magic (NZ) (Snitzel), who cost $2.5 million at the Inglis Easter Australian Yearling Sale in 2021 and had already shown his talent when making the frame in both the G2 Silver Slipper S. and G3 Pago Pago S. as a juvenile.

Stroke Of Luck himself was purchased out of the Yarraman Park for $200,000 at the same sale by his trainer, James Bester Bloodstock and co-owner Eric Lucas and Bester told TDN AusNZ that he remembers seeing the gelding as a yearling and immediately earmarked him down as a Derby prospect.

“He was at Yarraman Park and the moment I clapped eyes on him I wrote down in my catalogue: Derby colt,” he recalled.

“He didn’t look like a 2-year-old or a speed horse, but Eric Lucas was looking for exactly that kind of horse and we decided to have a crack at him. Then, unfortunately for Yarraman Park, just before he went into the ring, John O’Shea came over to me and he said: ‘I’ve spotted you lurking here with intent. Are you going to have a crack at that colt?’

“So, I told him I was and he said he was keen to buy him too and had owners already interested, was there any chance we could collaborate. I checked with Eric Lucas and he said he would be delighted to partner up with John and his owners.

“We went in and bought the horse for a bit less than if we had competed against each other. Such as Yarraman Park’s high opinion of him they were keen to stay in for 10 per cent, but then my friend, Laurie Macri, who also loves the Fastnet Rock / Galileo cross too, asked if he could be involved too and the Mitchells kindly offered to step back and allow Laurie into the ownership.”

Stroke Of Luck is out of placed Galileo (Ire) mare Defy The Odds (GB), making him a three-quarter brother to G1 South Australian Derby winner Leicester (Wanted).

Being out of a mare by Galileo means Stroke Of Luck is bred on one of the very best crosses in the business, which has dominated the world over for a number of years.

The son of Danehill (USA), when mated with daughters of Galileo, has produced 98 winners from 136 runners and they are headed by 27 stakes winners which fires at a strike rate of 19 per cent.

The group of stakes winners are spearheaded by nine top-flight scorers which include G1 Australian Oaks winner Unforgotten and Personal, who landed the G1 VRC Oaks.

“Obviously, I’m a great believer in the Fastnet Rock / Galileo cross, so the horse measured up in physique to that fabulous pedigree and he already had a stakes-winning half-brother and I liked what I saw.

“He had plenty of size, scope and strength with a measure of quality. In particular, it was his action that caught my eye, his whole body moved when he moved,” Bester continued.

Bester said he was impressed with the way the gelding attacked Tuesday’s race, especially given he looks like he will need a lot further down the line.

“The odds-on favourite, Magic, who was $2.5 million Easter yearling, has already been stakes-placed twice and this was Stroke Of Luck’s first run and he is still learning his craft,” said Bester.

“He was beautifully ridden by Hugh Bowman and he angled out to challenge and he went on with it. When it looked like the other one might go on with it, he just found more. Hugh commented afterwards that there is a fair bit more in the tank there, which will come when he really learns how to execute his races.

“He also said he is looking for 10 furlongs to a mile and a half and to therefore win over six and a half as readily as he did, is hugely encouraging.”

Having not raced as a 2-year-old, patience will still be exercised when it comes to Stroke Of Luck’s future and Bester said they will let the gelding tell them when he is ready for his next assignment.

“I spoke to John afterwards and he was not getting ahead of himself yet and he said they would find a suitable target for him, which I would imagine would be over a mile. Then one would imagine a race like the Spring Champion S. might suit him and who is to say a Derby won’t suit him in time,” said Bester.

“However, I don’t want to get ahead of myself, John O’Shea will make absolutely all of those decisions and the way he has done it so far, I have no doubt he will do it all entirely in the best interests of the horse himself.

“He has been progressive in his work and in his trials, which have all been a bit short for him, but I know John has thought from day one that he is a top horse and Hugh Bowman, who rode him today (Tuesday), has said from the first time he slung a leg over him, this feels like a high-class horse.”