Caption: Holler (Commands-Shouts by Strategic)
Darley’s home bred Holler (Commands-Shouts by Strategic) was one of the first new stallion announcements for 2017 and Victorian breeders are bound to welcome him with open arms. The handsome son of the late Commands (Danehill (USA)) has strong credentials and he is one of his reliably classy sire’s 71 stakes winners and has a pedigree littered with notable speed influences.
Holler had trialled well prior to his Randwick debut in January 2015 and was subsequently sent out favourite in an 1100m contest. Showing good natural pace, the bay was always travelling well, giving a kick at the 300m, racing away to win by a soft 1.25 lengths, a sign of things to come. After a break Holler was third to Spill The Beans first up at Randwick and after a freshen up he was up in class, contesting the Run to the Rose-Gr.2, 1200m at just his third outing. A gallant third to Exosphere and Press Statement, he finished a clear margin in front of future Gr.1 winner Japonisme in what was to prove a strong form reference.
After a luckless run in the Golden Rose-Gr.1 (1400m) won by Exosphere, Holler was trapped wide when a game second at Rosehill before heading south to contest the Gothic Stakes-LR, 1400m at Caulfield. He was only just beaten there, unable to quite pick up the leader Mahuta, who would prove the strength of that form by winning his next four. Holler really hit his straps at his next outing in the Red Anchor Stakes-Gr.3 (1200m) at Moonee Valley, treating his rivals with contempt. Booting through to lead, he was always travelling like the winner and his margin was a most impressive 4.25 lengths.
Back from a spell Holler returned to Moonee Valley to take on the older horses in the Australia Stakes-Gr.2, 1200m. Again he travelled sweetly on pace, taking over straightening and quickly putting a length on them. It was a pretty smart field too, Holler leaving in his wake the likes of Rebel Dane, Hucklebuck, Trust in a Gust, Mourinho and Sirbible. Subsequently a close up fifth in Mahuta’s Autumn Stakes-Gr.2, 1400m, Holler came back 100m when returning to Sydney for the Canterbury Stakes-Gr.1, 1300m.
The blinkers were on that day and Holler really responded, jumping fast to lead. He was cruising with 300m to go and when asked for his effort he got clear, winning by a 1.25 lengths from First Seal and Kermadec.
Well and truly used to travel by this stage, Holler was back in Melbourne for the William Reid Stakes-Gr.1, 1200m. Again he was right on pace and he looked the winner only to be run down late by Peter Moody’s final Gr.1 winner Flamberge. Below his best in two spring runs, Holler was retired to stud as the winner of four of 14 starts and just short of $750,000 in stakes.
Bred on the same Commands/Strategic cross as stakes winner Moderate, Holler’s dam is out of Vocalist, a mare by Bluebird, a sire whose strike rate when combined with Commands is an excellent 74.4%. And an outstanding 11.6% stakes winner ratio!
Commands has also crossed extremely well with Holler’s third dam sire Sovereign Red; a 78.6% strike rate with three stakes winners (Lamasery and Imprisoned the others) from just 28 runners (10.7%). That Sovereign Red mare, Loyal Lyric, is out of Miss Entertainer, by speed sire Vain and from the Better Boy (IRE) mare Viveza.
And so there is plenty of depth to the pedigree of Holler, a horse whose dam by the Gr.1 speedster Strategic (Zeditave-Sudden Impulse by Golden Slipper winner Luskin Star), dam sire of 17 stakes winners including the big race winners Le Romain, Griante and Sonntag. Strategic’s third dam Sweet Embrace also won the Golden Slipper, as did her sire Todman.
Holler’s dam Shouts is out of the Black Opal Stakes-LR, 1200m winner Vocalist. An excellent broodmare who produced eight winners, Vocalist is also dam of the durable triple Gr.1 winner Yell and the Listed winner Sung. Her dam, the multiple city winner Loyal Lyric, was also great at stud with six winners including the dual Gr.1 winner Anthems. Yell, Anthems, Vocalist, Sung, Holler; there’s a nice theme at work here!
With plenty of black type close up and a pedigree littered with Golden Slipper winners and sires of Slipper winners, Holler is a horse of great interest, all the more so when you look a little further back in his pedigree and note that his six times winning fourth dam Miss Entertainer by the legendary Vain (another Golden Slipper winner!) is also second dam of the Todman Stakes-Gr.2, 1200m winner Written Tycoon; highly successful sire of 19 stakes winners.
Published: February 2017
