The opening round of heats for the 2025 NSW Breeders Challenge were run at Menangle on Monday and boom colt Hollywood Strip cruised home 12 metres clear of his rivals covering the mile in a slick 1:50.0 for trainer/driver Brad Hewitt.
Hollywood Strip has now had three starts for three wins.
Bred by Denis and Jo Howe’s Mataranka Park Standardbreds, Hollywood Strip will have his full-brother go under the hammer at the 2026 Nutrien Sydney Sale on Sunday March 8.
Hollywood Strip’s win on Monday equaled the Australian Record of 1:50.0 for a 2yo colt set by Queensland colt Fate Awaits in October 2024 for trainer/driver Grant Dixon.
He is the third colt from his dam Bang Bang Molly and all three are by Sweet Lou and all three are winners headed by Smaltese p,1:51.9 $128,888 and Kerbang p,1:53.3 $84,165.
Bang Bang Molly’s 2026 yearling is her fourth colt and is sure to attract plenty of attention both in the weeks leading up to the sale and on sale day itself.
He should also attract attention from across the Tasman as he is paid up for the New Zealand Sires Stakes series.
Interestingly Sweet Lou’s richest winner bred in this part of the world in Spirit Of St Louis p,1:48.2 $1,478,266 is bred along similar lines to Hollywood Strip being out of a mare by a son of Artsplace.
Spirit Of St Louis is out of a mare by Art Major while Hollywood Strip is out of a Sportswriter mare.