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Strategic News is a good Trifecta roughie

Published by charl on January 30, 2010

STRATEGIC News, the winner of the Steinhoff Summer Cup in 2007, has been written off by many pundits for the J&B Met on Saturday, but not by his trainer Dylan Cunha.

Cunha, one of the few trainers whose landed a Grade 1 victory while still in his twenties, said, “I’ve never been more confident going into a big race. Everything is perfect and I’m only worried about Pocket Power.

Cunha said that Strategic News, a six-year-old Australian-bred entire by Strategic, had needed his run in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and that he was now at his peak.

The chestnut with the big stride certainly caught the eye in the Queen’s Plate as he quickened very well in the straight before running out of puff late on.

“He actually quickened past Pocket Power at one stage,” said Cunha.

He might well have but Bernard Fayd’Herbe pointed out last weekend that Pocket Power’s infamous “flat spot” is not a short-lived happening and he actually “hovers” after initially quickening at the top of the straight for a while until quickening again late on.

Nevertheless, the feeling gleaned from watching Strategic News in the Queen’s Plate was that if he did come on from that race, he would have an outside chance, so with Cunha so confident he should not be ignored.

On the downside he does have a Grade 1 penalty to carry, so is the joint-top weight with Pocket Power and Smart Banker, and his draw of eleven is not an easy one.

Strategic News gives Irishman Pat Cosgrave his first ride in the big race in South Africa.