Paul Preusker’s 5yo Artie Schiller gelding Steparty has found the drop in class to his liking after crossing Bass Strait, adding Wednesday’s $150,000 Listed Hellova Street Stakes (1600m) to his win in the Listed Thomas Lyon Stakes (1400m) last time out.
Prior to his back to back stakes victories at Hobart and Launceston respectively, Steparty had gone winless since his victory in the G3 MRC Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) at 3 which was the culmination of winning his first five starts in a row, before his third in the G1 MRC Caulfield Guineas (1600m) behind Griff and Veight.
Sent out the narrow second favourite behind Barry Campbell’s Durazzo (Needs Further) who he had beaten last time out, the John Allen ridden gelding settled in second last position with only the race favourite behind him in the small six horse field.
With Angela Brakey’s race outsider Coal River taking up the running, Steparty eventually drifted back to last as Durazzo started to go between runners to make his run as the field headed towards the final bend.
Travelling under his own steam, Steparty was the widest runner in the home straight, but showed superior ability to work home over the top of the field to defeat the John Keys trained Cartoon Graveyard by three parts of a length with Durazzo a further half length back in third.
Interestingly, Steparty has been staying with John Keys, the trainer of the runner-up, at Seven Mile Beach during his time in Tasmania
With earnings of $1,892,865 from seven wins and 10 placed performances, Steparty is a homebred for Greg Baldwin and partners.
The best of two winners from two to the races out of the Sepoy mare Watch Your Step, Steparty’s half-brother is the stakes placed Sidestep gelding Scissor Step.
From the family of stakes winners Taikun, Big Party, Right To Party, Super Groove, Flying Fulton, Zapurple, Through Irish Eyes and more, Watch Your Step has an unraced 2yo filly by Fierce Impact (Jpn) named Stepify also in the Preusker yard, while the currnt yearling out of the mare is a colt by Rosemont Stud’s Shamus Award.
Steparty is one of 58 stakes winner for his G1 Breeders' Cup Mile winning sire Artie Schiller (USA), who was retired from stud duties in 2022.
Artie Schiler is the sire of five G1 winners with his best Australian bred runner being the dual G1 winner Artorius, with the Newgate Farm based stallion set to be represented by seven lots at the Inglis Premier yearling sale which commences this Sunday, March 1 at Oaklands.
