Preusker to target Caulfield Guineas with ‘best ever’ Steparty
Juvenile colt stretches unbeaten record to three with comfortable victory over 1400 metres at Flemington yesterday
The Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) will be the spring target for talented juvenile Steparty after the son of Artie Schiller (El Prado) stretched his unbeaten run to three with a dominant victory in yesterday’s two-year-old handicap over 1400 metres at Flemington.
Declaring the horse the best he’d ever trained in 26 years with a licence, Paul Preusker marvelled at the colt, who stepped up in trip and cruised to a length-and-a-quarter win over Blazing Harry (Harry Angel). Bolted In (Bolt D’Oro) came home another three and a half lengths away in third, in a field that was stretched out by all of 30 lengths at the line.
Horsham-based Preusker, whose Lunar Fox (Foxwedge) caused an almighty shock to win the 2021 Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) at odds of $301, and he said the best was yet to come from the colt and ruled out any sale of his prized asset, having rejected seven-figure offers after Steparty won at Flemington on June 3.
“I’ve had some great horses, nothing like this fellow,” Preusker said. “It’s new ground to me and I can only see him improving. The fact he dropped the bridle gives us more options.
“We won’t get too busy but he’s certainly the right horse for the [Caulfield Guineas], he’s a proper horse … I’ve got no doubt he’d swallow up a mile and get to 2000 metres. With a little bit of a let up he can only get better mentally.”
Steparty opened his account with an impressive win at Ballarat on May 14 and was then ridden by Dean Yendall to an eye-catching three-and-a-half-length success at Flemington a fortnight ago.
Beginning sharply from barrier five yesterday, Steparty was settled in third by Yendall behind a strong pace set by Manalore (Fiorente), who would weaken to finish last. Yendall and Staparty made their challenge at the 400-metre mark, hitting the front soon after, and were not for catching, despite the late run from the Vinery Stud-owned Blazing Harry as the line beckoned.
Yendall, who has scored six Group 1 wins in the saddle, including with Yankee Rose (All American), Scales Of Justice (Not A Single Doubt) and Santa Ana Lane (Lope De Vega), echoed Preusker’s sentiments in also saying the horse is the best he’s been associated with, nominating another time-honoured Group 1 as a possible spring goal.
“I actually said to [the clerk of the course] trotting back in with the pony, ‘I think this is the best one I’ve had’,” Yendall said.
“He just does everything in his stride, he actually relaxed beautifully out there into the wind.
“He’s going places … a nice 2000-metre at The Valley [Cox Plate] would be good in the future.”
A homebred for part-owner Greg Baldwin, Steparty (2 c Artie Schiller – Watch Your Step by Sepoy) is the third foal out of the unraced Sepoy (Elusive Quality) mare Watch Your Step, whose first foal is the Group 3-placed gelding Scissor Step (Toronado).
The colt’s third dam Tyrises (Last Tycoon) has produced multiple stakes winner Taikun (Anabaa), as well as Listed scorer Super Groove (Dehere).
Watch Your Step has a yearling filly by Woodside Park stallion Rich Enuff (Written Tycoon), and was covered by Fierce Impact (Deep Impact) last year.
Steparty derives from the penultimate Australian crop of former shuttle sire Artie Schiller, whose two southern hemisphere-bred Group 1 winners are Rosehill Guineas (Gr 1, 2000m) scorer Laser Hawk and Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Flying Artie, who will cover his first book of mares at Blue Gum Farm having begun his career at Newgate Farm.