Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
According to the corporate betting markets, and many good judges, Saturday’s G1 Caulfield Guineas is a race in two between the gun Sydney colts, Militarize (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}) and the local Steparty (Artie Schiller {USA}).
With three Group 1 wins on the board (two at two and one as a 3-year-old), the former, who is part-owned by the powerhouse breeding giant Newgate Farm, already has his future career at stud secured. The unbeaten Steparty, meanwhile, can cement his standing as a stallion in waiting with victory in the time-honoured Classic mile.
Steparty was bred by Greg Baldwin in country Victoria, St Arnaud, to be exact. ‘Rocky’, as he is affectionately known, tried selling the colt before his debut without success. The big city stables weren’t interested, so Baldwin enlisted Victorian race caller Ric McIntosh to help syndicate the horse. Baldwin sold 90 per cent of him to a huge group of Wimmera-based owners, while McIntosh also bought in.
Connections of Steparty after winning the G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Since then, Baldwin and Co. have been inundated with offers for the colt, largely from Hong Kong. Time after time, they have resisted the urge to sell. They’re simply having too much fun.
Should Steparty win the stallion-making Caulfield Guineas, Baldwin and Horsham-based trainer Paul Preusker will receive more phone calls. Hong Kong is sure to come knocking again, but there’s little doubt a number of stud farms will be keen to either purchase the colt outright or buy into him. An unbeaten colt with six wins to his credit, including the G1 Caulfield Guineas, makes plenty of appeal.
Ahead of the Guineas, Baldwin told The Thoroughbred Report “there has been some interest” from studs.
“It hasn’t been heaps, but there certainly has been a little bit of interest,” Steparty’s managing owner said.
“We’ve resisted the temptation to sell him overseas, but to have him stand at stud in Australia… we’re certainly open to talking to people.”
“We’ve resisted the temptation to sell him (Steparty) overseas, but to have him stand at stud in Australia… we’re certainly open to talking to people.” - Greg Baldwin
Asked if the current ownership group would be keen to retain shares in the colt should a stud purchase him, Baldwin was matter of fact.
“Yes,” was his response.
Pressed further, Baldwin explained that no decisions about the colt’s future have been made, with Saturday’s grand final being the primary focus.
“We haven’t discussed anything at length. If something comes up, I will take it to the syndicate. They’ve been great, they’ve been happy to follow my lead a little bit. I’m pretty sure we would be able to work out a deal,” he added.
Steparty, winner of the G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Steparty is no blueblood, but his pedigree is very good. Artie Schiller (USA) is the sire of 58 stakes winners; five of those are Group 1 winners, including the 2016 G1 Coolmore Stud S. hero Flying Artie, who kicked off his stud career at Newgate Farm, before relocating to Blue Gum Farm. He is now a Group 1-producing sire, thanks to the deeds of Artorius, who himself is standing his maiden season at Newgate.
The colt’s dam, Watch Your Step (Sepoy), was unraced. She has had three foals, with her first being the four-time winner and Group 3 placegetter Scissor Step (Toronado {Ire}).
Watch Your Step was purchased, in foal to Adelaide (Ire), by Mick Leonard’s Millwater Farm for $13,000 from the Contract Racing draft at the 2019 Inglis Great Southern Sale - Broodmares.
“He (Mick) had her for a while, but then his circumstances changed. He had too many mares and I happened to know about it so I took them all,” Baldwin said.
“He (Mick Leonard) had her (Watch Your Step) for a while, but then his circumstances changed. He had too many mares and I happened to know about it so I took them all.” - Greg Baldwin
Baldwin engaged the help of confidants Tim and Brian Kelly for advice on who to send Watch Your Step to and settled on Artie Schiller, who stood for just $11,000 (inc GST) at the time.
“They’re very good with crosses and breeding analysis. They said, ‘You want to send her to Artie Schiller if you can, that’s the best match’,” Baldwin explained.
“It was a good outcome because I particularly liked Artie Schiller and he was affordable.
Artie Schiller (USA) | Standing at Stockwell Thoroughbreds
“He’s been a very good sire. He always got runners and you got value, but because he had been around a while, the racing industry… they’re always after the next hot thing and they left him behind.”
Steparty’s second dam, Gypsy’s Best (Redoute’s Choice), won two races and is a half-sister to the Group 3 scorer Taikun (Anabaa {USA}), the Listed victor Super Groove (Dehere {USA}) and the stakes performer Boogaloo (Encosta De Lago). There’s a host of other stakes winners on the colt’s page, including Zapurple (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), Purple Groove (NZ) (Rhythm {USA}), Flying Fulton (Flying Spur), Big Party (Exceed And Excel) and Irises (Tate Gallery {USA}).
“He’s got a bit going on. There’s certainly enough in his pedigree to make a sire, but the horse himself is very-much a stallion. He’s a big, strong horse and a very-forward type. If he left horses like himself, trainers would be taking them on, don’t worry about that,” Baldwin commented.
“There’s certainly enough in his (Steparty's) pedigree to make a sire, but the horse himself is very-much a stallion.” - Greg Baldwin
“He’s a bit of a lad, really. He’s a bit cocky. He’s definitely a colt and he’ll shake hands with his front feet if he decides he wants to. When he’s fresh, you want the right person looking after him, that’s for sure.”
Watch Your Step has a Rich Enuff filly on the ground and the mare was covered last spring by Leneva Park’s triple Group 1 winner Fierce Impact (Jpn).
Eyes wide open
Baldwin and his co-owners are under no illusion regarding the enormity of Saturday’s task. The Chris Waller-trained Militarize has won four of seven and could be anything. King Colorado (Kingman {GB}) is also a Group 1 winner, so too is the Blue Diamond hero Little Brose (Per Incanto {USA}). Then there’s a bunch of talented untapped colts, including Scentify (Justify {USA}), Griff (Trapeze Artist), Veight (Grunt (NZ}) and Scheelite (Real Steel {Jpn}).
“This year’s 3-year-old crop appears to be very, very strong. We’ve run into a very strong field in a good year,” said Baldwin, who has tasted success in top company with Lunar Fox (Foxwedge), who scored an upset win in the 2021 Australian Guineas.
“This year’s 3-year-old crop appears to be very, very strong. We’ve run into a very strong field in a good year.” - Greg Baldwin
“Steparty has won five from five and four in town, so he’s done a great job for us.
“The grand final right from the outset was this race and it looks like we’re going to get there, so we’ll just see how it pans out.”
