IT IS a case of three strikes and you're in for Stoney Bridge, with the Waikato-based stud mob-handed in this Sunday's lucrative Karaka Million contest at Ellerslie.

With three homebred runners among the 14 two-year-olds lining up for the 1200m contest, Stoney Bridge leads the field with the most representatives. In addition, two of the trio are by stallions based at Stoney Bridge Waikato.

Nacho Man, who entered the line-up on Tuesday in 14th place, represents a double interest for Mike Tololi's organisation. Not only was the brown gelding bred by Stoney Bridge Thoroughbreds Ltd, but his sire, the Argentine champion miler Mr. Nancho, stands at Stoney Bridge Waikato.

Nacho Man burst into the Karaka Million reckoning with an impressive winning debut at Woodville over 1100m on January 9th. Mike and Paul Moroney's charge gave Mr. Nancho his first trial winner back in October at Cambridge, and looks set to be in the vanguard of smart horses for his sire. He is a true representative of the value for money that Mr. Nancho offers breeders, having been purchased for $27,000 at last year's Festival yearling sale when consigned by Maara Grange.

Nacho Man is out of the winning The Jogger mare El Coriero who has already produced a winner by Shinko King, a trial winner and a yearling filly by Hawkeye, and was due to foal this season to Storm Creek.

One place ahead of Nacho Man in the order of entry is Brave Warrior, also bred by Stoney Bridge Thoroughbred Ltd.

The son of the Group 1 winning sire Ekraar is more experienced than many of his Millions rivals having had four raceday starts and two trials. Winner of both his trials, at Pukekohe on September 7th and Avondale on October 6th, the bay gelding scored his first raceday win at Ellerslie on December 28th having previously been a good runner-up to the stakes-placed Banchee, a half-sister to the dual Group 1 winner Katie Lee, at the same venue on December 13th.

Trained by Kevin Hughes and Dean Wiles, who purchased the gelding for $36,000 at the Festival sale, Brave Warrior is out of the Straight Strike mare Pheroz Flight. The dam of five live foals, Pheroz Flight most recently produced to Stoney Bridge stallion Great Britain and is now successfully back in foal to Ekraar.

Also bred by Stoney Bridge Thoroughbreds Ltd is the Street Cry filly Irish Jewel, trained by Andrew Scott for a partnership of Sir Michael Fay and Sir Patrick and Lady Justine Hogan. The filly is ninth in the order of entry.

Irish Jewel also scored her first trial win at Cambridge on October 23 and progressed on to triumph by over two lengths in a 1100m contest at Avondale on December 2nd.

Irish Jewel is the first foal out of the winning Lowan Behold, a daughter of Biscay. A half-sister to nine winners, Lowan Behold hails from the family of dual Group 1 winner Lowan Star. Since foaling Irish Jewel she has produced a yearling colt by Storm Creek and was due to foal to Mr. Nancho in 2009. Irish Jewel was purchased for $125,000 during the Select portion of last year's sales series.

Stoney Bridge owner Michael Tololi has already enjoyed a fantastic start to the 2009-10 season as breeder of the Group 1 Captain Cook Stakes heroine Ekstreme, and he is eagerly anticipating another big day at the races on Sunday.

Tololi commented: "I am thrilled to have three such exciting young horses representing our breeding operation in the Karaka Million, and to have two of them sired by our own stallions is the icing on the cake.

"To have one runner in the Karaka Million is an achievement but to have three runners bred by Stoney Bridge in this prestigious contest is a testament to how far the stud has come in the five years since it was founded.

"I am proud of what we have achieved in that time, and although we have endured a very difficult 12 months I look forward to a bright future for the stud and a big run from Brave Warrior, Nacho Man, and Irish Jewel on Sunday."