Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos
Race-Day Recap
Paul Preusker-trained Steparty (Artie Schiller {USA}) went three-from-three at Flemington on Saturday, his combined winning margin sitting at 6l.
The promising Tutta La Vita (The Autumn Sun) broke through at Rosehill over 1400 metres on Saturday.
Upstart Legend (Worthy Cause) upset the hot favourite Defiant Spirit (Spirit Of Boom) at Ipswich on Saturday.
Steparty dominant again
Widely purported to have turned down significant offers for his 2-year-old, Paul Preusker may find the phone ringing with renewed fervour after his colt Steparty (Artie Schiller {USA}) went three-from-three at Flemington on Saturday, his combined winning margin sitting at 6l.
With Dean Yendall in the saddle, Steparty beat two last-start winners in Blazing Harry (Harry Angel {Ire}) and Bolted In (Bolt D’Oro {USA}).
“Loved it,” was Preusker’s response when asked to sum up the performance. “(He) ticked all the boxes for me, we’ll just go home, take it all in.”
With a path to the G1 Caulfield Guineas now in question, Preusker added: “Do you go to the well again? It’s tricky. I’ve had some good, tough horses but nothing like this fella so it’s new ground to me.
“I can only see him improving. He dropped the bridle today, so that really puts the eye on other stuff… With a little bit of a let up he can only get better - we’ll keep it simple.”
“I can only see him (Steparty) improving. He dropped the bridle today, so that really puts the eye on other stuff… With a little bit of a let up he can only get better - we’ll keep it simple.” - Paul Preusker
Preusker is hardly renowned as a 2-year-old trainer,
“I don’t get wrapped up in them, I don’t buy them, and I never intended on having this fella as a 2-year-old, he just plotted his own path. I’ve never played trainers with him, I probably never will, I’ve just let him do the talking.”
Steparty was bred and is co-owned by Mr G Baldwin. His sire Artie Schiller (USA) stands at Stockwell Thoroughbreds and stood the 2022 breeding season for $8800 (inc GST).
Paul Preusker | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Waller’s exciting Tutta La Vita breaks through
The only filly in the race, Chris Waller’s Tutta La Vita (The Autumn Sun) was sent off favourite for Rosehill’s opener, a 1400-metre 2-year-old handicap, with the latest of two second-placed efforts deemed a high-level of formline.
The winner that day was stablemate Congregation (Snitzel), a subsequent G1 JJ Atkins S. runner, but things weren’t entirely cut-and-dried for the daughter of The Autumn Sun, despite odds-on favouritism.
Positioned on the speed by Kerrin McEvoy, she took her time to wind up to top speed in the home straight, but got the job done to the satisfaction of her trainer.
“She can go out now and come back as a really nice 3-year-old filly,” Waller said.
“A daughter of The Autumn Sun, it’s proud for me to be training the progeny, especially a colt like him, he was a superstar,” he added, in reference to the five-time Group 1 winner who stands at Arrowfield for $66,000 (inc GST) this year.
“A long way to go for her, but the whole stable has got a high opinion of her… She’s showing all the right signs.”
“She (Tutta La Vita) can go out now and come back as a really nice 3-year-old filly... the whole stable has got a high opinion of her… She’s showing all the right signs.” - Chris Waller
The first three finishers from last year’s edition of this race were all subsequent stakes winners, namely Kibou (Maurice {Jpn}), Osipenko (NZ) (Pierro) and Razeta (Deep Field). The second placing this year was filled by Bjorn Baker’s Canadian Ruler (NZ) (Vancouver), who was making the jump from his Bathurst debut win.
However, it was Michael Freedman’s sizeable Snitzel colt Gelatin that stood out as the one in particular to follow. More than once he found considerable trouble as he made his run from the rear of the field, first being held in a pocket by Godolphin’s Mogwai (Epaulette) and then run onto the heels of the winner - leading his trainer with little doubt that he’d have won given a kinder passage.
Tutta La Vita winning at Rosehill | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Owned by the Payne family, Tutta La Vita was bred by Arrowfield in partnership with Planette Thoroughbred and Belford Productions Pty Ltd, and was a $300,000 purchase for Kevin Kelly at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. She is a half-sister to G1 Robert Sangster S. winner Secret Agenda (Not A Single Doubt).
Upstart Legend downs Defiant Spirit
Defiant Spirit was shuffled back during the run down the back straight, and entered the home straight with only one behind him. Favourite backers were left frustrated as the son of Spirit Of Boom, a debutant winner earlier this month, flashed home late to finish just 0.3l behind Upstart Legend (Worthy Cause) at Ipswich on Saturday.
Upstart Legend’s trainer Michael Nolan who is based at Toowoomba, admits in the lead-up to Saturday he was concerned over the strength of the filly’s form.
“We were worried about all the first starters and worried about our Toowoomba form… She’s a good filly this,” Nolan said.
“Probably don’t want to go any further than 1200 (metres) at the moment, she saw it out today.”
Upstart Legend was a $70,000 yearling purchase by Michael Nolan from the draft of Clear Mountain Fairview at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale.
Upstart Legend as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The Group 1-producing sire Worthy Cause will stand the 2023 breeding season for $5500 (inc GST) at Clear Mountain Fairview in Queensland.
