Philippi highlighted Host’s ability to sire a good horse in Sydney during the autumn carnival and now he’s turned up with another Victorian visitor named Hosting.

Hosting (4g Host – Kali Smytzer by Zabeel) announced his intentions for the spring carnival by bursting through a narrow gap to win first-up in Sydney on Golden Rose Stakes day.

“The Epsom Handicap is our goal but his rating is the biggest problem,” trainer Greg Eurell admitted.  “We’re trying to get into some of the better races and this is a step in the right direction.”

Hosting was heavily backed into $2.70 favouritism and had to thread his way through traffic at the furlong.  Eurell elected for the easier assignment instead of a G2 start in the Theo Marks Stakes later in the day.

The son of Swettenham Stud sire Host has been lightly raced and was tagged one with a future after placings in the LR Manfred Stakes at Caulfield and G3 C S Hayes Stakes at Flemington earlier this year.

Hosting resumed from a winter break with a promising win at Sandown on August 28.  “He was gelded during that spell and his attitude has improved,” Eurell explained.  “Now he’s putting it all together.”

He is a younger half-brother to Elderly Paradise (Danewin) who won the LR Macau Derby and LR Macau Gold Cup before travelling to Dubai to add the Bab Al Shams Trophy at Meydan in January.  Eurell trains him for owners John Hampton, Patsy Harrison, Graham & Marjorie Olive, Nick & Michael Tozer, Kevin Williams and Graeme Yeomans.

Hosting is one of 29 individual winners from Host’s first crop headed by Philippi who won the G2 Tulloch Stakes at Rosehill in April.  And he did best of the home defence in the G1 Australian Derby behind It’s A Dundeel (NZ).

Host (Hussonet) stands at Swettenham Stud in Nagambie for a $9,900 (inc gst) fee.

For further information on the Swettenham Stud roster, broodmare owners can contact Adam Sangster (0418 543 633) or Chris Belli (0417 514 552).

– Karl Patterson