The three-year-old Sidestep filly Flying Step broke her maiden at Canterbury on Wednesday to become the latest winner from a family that has served her trainer, owner, and breeder Bruce Cross well over several decades.
Flying Step had little luck in the run in the 1250m fillies maiden. Caught three wide without cover, Flying Step hit the line strongly for Jason Collett to hold the challenge of the impressive debutant Valoria (Maurice) by a neck. Sirens Star (Star Witness) was three and a quarter lengths back in third.
"We were a bit disappointed (when third) at Bathurst, but she has made the improvement," Cross said.
"I was worried when she was three deep, but she is a tough little girl, and she fought it out.
'Jason won a race on her mother here for me one day. Happy memories."
Flying Steps dam Salote was a hard-knocking daughter of Strada, who won six and placed in six of her 37 starts.
The Bruce Cross connection goes back another generation with Salote's dam Dawnfire (Integra), a half-sister to two of the stable's top performers.
In 2001 the brothers Final Fantasy and Padfoot Charlie captured the Group 1 Epsom Handicap and Listed Canberra Cup, respectively, for Cross and long-time client Malcolm Chung.
Padfoot Charlie was often a frustrating character who placed in the Group II Tulloch Stakes, Group II Hill Stake, and fourth in the Group 1 AJC Derby. The son of Chimes Square closed out his career with a second in the Group II Chairman's Quality and fourth in the Group 1 Sydney Cup won by Mahtoum.
Sidestep
Final Fantasy hit the heights in the Epsom, by which time he had already bagged the Group II Villiers Stakes and Listed Royal Parma Stakes and had the great Sunline behind him when second to El Mirada in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes.
Salote has a yearling colt by Winning Rupert and was covered by him again last spring.
