During a five-race stretch across March and April, Kootara put together five minor placings.
But after bleeding in the fifth run the horse was put up for sale and in a case of ‘the friend of a friend’, the mare was headed for Seymour.
And on Monday, at her first start for her new trainer, apprentice jockey Tayla Childs rode Kootara to victory by a length in the $22,000 Odds Drift Protector BM58 Hcp over 1009m at Echuca.
It was Kootara’s third career win from 16 starts – and her first since April 2019.
“One of the new owners is the brother of my assistant trainer (Dale Plant), so we’ve looked at her,” Strang said.
“She’s always had plenty of ability – so we took the punt on bringing her up here, where life is a little bit more relaxing.
“Since then we changed everything around her and the result of that can be seen in today’s run.
“Most of the credit has to go to Dale though. He treats her like his baby.”
With a 23-week spell between races, Strang said the team had prepared to run the mare at their home track at Seymour.
But after the meeting was transferred to Echuca, Team Strang changed directions and headed north for the border town where their new charge was sent out well tested at 9/2.
Kootara jumped cleanly and showing good gate speed quickly found cover just off the pace, and Childs parked her in there until the field turned for home.
Coming into the final stretch the mare set out after the odds-on favourite Smart Design, the two horses leaving all the others well adrift with sheer speed.
Smart Design had cornered best but metre by metre Childs was driving Kootara closer and once they drew level she let the mare go and hit the line hard, with clear air between her and the favourite.
“It’s always good to get a winner when you’re as old as me,” Strang said with a laugh.
As for her next race, he said the team would take things as they came.
“I’m pretty old fashioned. The horse will tell you when its ready,” he said.
That won’t include a run in the $150,000 Seymour Cup later this month though – with the 1600m distance a touch too far.
“The cup’s not her distance,” Strang said.
“We’ll keep her happy and keep doing what we’re doing.”
● ON PAPER, jockey Daniel Moor was confident of winning at least just one race at Echuca on Monday.
But he got more than he bargained for as he came away with a hat-trick of wins.
Moor was able to claim the first two races on the card on board Wordy for Mark Kavanagh and Melisende for Anthony and Sam Freedman.
And the hat-trick was confirmed in the Perricoota Station BM58 Hcp over 2124m after a protest.
Having originally finished second with Brilliant Venture, the stewards determined Boss'N The Moss (NZ) had hampered the run of Moor's horse at the top of the straight.
It meant their finishing positions were overturned.
“It's always nice to get a good result,” Moor said.
“I was pretty confident going into the protest we would get the right outcome. I thought the horse deserved to win.
“In all three races I managed to get into a good position and that was helped by the fantastic surface at Echuca.
“The venue always makes for easy riding.”
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