Kooringal Stud stallion Alert was represented by his first winner at Queanbeyan on Thursday. The Argentine bred son of Southern Halo is the sire of flying grey filly Strike Alert who blitzed her rivals in the Tony Campbell-Cleary Racing Maiden (900m).
It was a much anticipated debut. The Neil Osborne trained youngster had defeated Karuta Queen in a Canberra barrier trial back on October 1 and the beaten filly came out and completed a winning hat-trick in the Wyong Magic Millions last Sunday.
Osborne was happy to let Strike Alert tell him when it was time to face the starter. “She wasn’t quite ready for Canberra Cup day then I nominated her for Coffs Harbour and Narromine but they were both washed out,” he said. “I was happy to kick off at Queanbeyan.”
Strike Alert (2f Alert – Strike Time by Switch In Time) jumped straight to the lead in a four horse field and gave apprentice Jason Collins an armchair ride in front. The boy had a bo-peep in the straight but she was never in any danger and cruised home by close to four lengths.
Alert was a Group 1 winning 2YO of the GP Estrellas Juniors Sprint in Beunos Aires clocking 55.20s for 1000m. He retired with 5 wins and two black type seconds from 16 starts.
His sire Southern Halo was the leading stallion in Argentina from 1994 to 2000, and again in 2004 and 2007. Such was his early impact in Argentina, he starting shuttling to Ashford Stud in 1996 and his first Kentucky crop contained G1 King’s Bishop Stakes winner More Than Ready.
Alert covered 82 mares in his first book at the Lamont family’s Kooringal Stud in Wagga Wagga. His first winner is from Strike Time who won races at Randwick and Rosehill for trainer Rado Boljun.
Osborne purchased Strike Time from Boljun and turns out it was the best $10,000 he’s ever spent.
“I sold Beautiful Timing to Paul Murray for $40,000 and he won a Wagga Guineas,” Osborne told AAP. “Her next foal was a Show A Heart colt and we received $70,000 for him.
“There’s a Johannesburg 3yo at home and a Beautiful Crown colt on the ground. I’ve got a share in Alert and Strike Time is back in foal to him.”
Osborne decided to keep Strike Alert when she wasn’t accepted for the 2010 Inglis Classic Sale. “She excites me alright and can certainly gallop. She’s only weighs 420kg but just continues to improve.
“I’ll probably give her one more run then get her ready for the Black Opal in March.”
Alert (Arg) stands for an $8,800 service fee at Kooringal alongside former Riverdene Stud sires Enemy of Average (Fusaichi Pegasus), Marwina (Marscay) and Zariz (Mukaddamah).
Studmaster Stuart Lamont pensioned Kooringal stalwart Bureaucracy (Lord Ballina) in November. He’s aged 23 and, after 18 books, it was time for the old boy to finally put the cue in the rack.