Steparty Steps Up

Mark Smith - Saturday September 9

The Paul Preusker-trained Steparty stretched his unbeaten record to four with a dominant performance in Saturday’s Listed McMahon's Dairy McKenzie Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Vally.

Steparty is a powerhouse (image George Sal/Racing Photos)

Stepping up to stakes company for the first time after wins at Ballarat and twice at Flemington at two, the son of Artie Schiller (USA) sat off the speed set by Introducing before John Allen asked for an effort. He found an immediate response with Steparty strong to the line in ending the winning run of the justify colt Scentify by a length and a quarter with the Brave Smash (JPN) colt Brave Mead a long-head back in third.

Paul Preusker continues a Caulfield Guineas path for the unbeaten colt who will likely prep for the Group 1 feature in the Group III Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) on September 23.

“He just keeps raising the bar, I’ll be excited to go to the next one, there’s not much work to do, he’s just tick over, tick over so we’ve left ourselves in a good spot, and I think the horse will enjoy it and make some improvement so look out,” Preusker said.

“He just possesses too good a speed really., I’m a bit of a get-back, run-on man but slowly, I’m learning to work with them. But I still watch him in his work at home, he’s a brilliant horse a long way off them, he sits on a tight trail, he just hasn’t been in that spot yet; I’m sure we’ll get it some day on race day.

“It’s been an amazing effort, I never really set out to race him, I think we were going to look at races at Donald, races at Swan Hill just to educate him. He’s just a tough horse from the get-go, I remember a couple of jumpers he was working with them and even as a two-year-old, just the slow miles he could work with good chasers.

Look at me! (image George Sal/Racing Photos)

“We’ll just poke away, and it happens, good journey for me, good learning for me off this horse, and I’ll ride it right until the end.

Advertisement

“We’ll go to Caulfield next; just tick that box and make sure we’re doing the right thing there too. I think a mile’s an easy ask for him, he’s certainly got the capacity, so I’m not frightened of that at all.

“He’s a beautiful striding horse, he’s never really gotten to use it yet, but anyway, we’ll just keep dissolving it as we go and go from there.”

 A half-brother to Group III Red Anchor Stakes runner-up and $1,000,000 The Showdown third, Scissor Step (Toronado), Steparty is a homebred for Greg Baldwin and partners.

The son of Artie Schiller is the second winner from as many to race for Watch Your Step, which Baldwin purchased from Mick Leonard’s Millwater Farm, who paid $13,000 for the unraced daughter of Sepoy from the Contract Racing draft at the 2019 Great Southern Sale when carrying a filly by Adelaide.

Watch Your Step has a 2yo filly by Rich Enufff and was covered by Fierce Impact (JPN) last spring.

Steparty is the 57th stakes-winner for Artie Schiller (USA). The 2005 Breeders' Cup Mile hero earned an honourable pension after covering 18 mares in 2021. The son of El Prado left 12 foals in his final crop born last spring.

Advertisment

Race Result - McMahon's Dairy McKenzie Stakes LR 1200m

Moonee Valley Track: Good(3) Time: 1:10.61
1
Steparty
- 3c Artie Schiller (USA) x Watch Your Step (AUS) (Sepoy (AUS))
Tnr: P A Preusker Rdr: John Allen 57
2
1.3
Scentify
- 3c Justify (USA) x Fine Scent (AUS) (All Too Hard (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: Ben Allen 57
Justify
3
1.5
Brave Mead
- 3c Brave Smash (JPN) x Mead (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: M Zahra 57.5
Brave Smash
4
2.2
Introducing
- 3c Trapeze Artist (AUS) x Smokin' Alice (USA) (Smoke Glacken (USA))
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: Jordan Childs 56
5
2.3
Armed Forces
- 3c I Am Invincible (AUS) x Royal Missile (AUS) (Smart Missile (AUS))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: M J Dee 56
6
4.5
Amur
- 3c Snitzel (AUS) x Leopard (AUS) (Animal Kingdom (USA))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: B Melham 58.5
More Reading...
Kosciuszko calling Rosehill winner Elson Boy
Dubbo-trained Elson Boy was back in the winner’s circle after a 412-day absence when leading throughout to land the Jockeys Celebration Day Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill in the hands of apprentice William Stanley.
Winning Hat-Trick for Progressive Pierro
Richard and Will Freedman probably have more talented horses in the stable than Pierro gelding Cold Brew, but few have the consistency of this four year-old who landed a winning hat-trick at Rosehill on Saturday.
Unique Filly a History Maker for Godolphin and Waller
The re-distribution of the Godolphin owned Australian racehorses has been a hot topic in recent weeks as they departed the care of James Cummings to join a wide spread of different trainers and one of those was Chris Waller, whose first runner for the blue army was a winner at Rosehill on Saturday.
Steparty Pulls it out of the Fire in Guineas Prelude
Not a lot went right for Steparty in Saturday’s Neds Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m), but the son of Artie Schiller (USA) does not know the meaning of defeat.
Artie Schiller's Steparty Stays Perfect
The 2yo Artie Schiller (USA) powerhouse Steparty made light of his topweight to keep his record at a perfect three for three in Saturday's Rod Johnson Hcp (1420) at Flemington.
Dual Group Winner Too Darn Good At Flemington
A dual group winner during the Spring of her 3yo season, talented mare Too Darn Discreet showed an electric turn of foot, charging home over the top of them to win the Melbourne Cup Carnival On Sale (1620m) at Flemington on Saturday.
The Novelist Returns to Form
The very first stakes-winner for his sire Written By when winning the Group III BRC BJ McLachlan Stakes in December 2022, The Novelist made light of the heavy 10 track at Rosehill on Saturday to claim another victory.
Sires With Winners - Saturday August 2
Here is the full list of 101 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sliding Doors Moment Delivers Feel Good Winner at Rosehill
Two fillies were born at Yulong in 2021 sired by Alabama Express from imported North American daughters of Street Cry, one of them is triple Group I winner Treasurethe Moment and the other is the feel good winner of the day at Rosehill on Saturday.
Kiwi Bred Keeps Winners Coming for Payne Stable
The Patrick and Michelle Payne-trained Bold Soul has been a consistent performer right through the winter months and notched another win at Flemington when prevailing in the VRC Membership Renewals Open (2530m) on Saturday.