Saturday racing in review [June 17]

Our review of racing around Australia on Saturday, June 17, including Star Performer, Punters Pearler, Saturday Slaughter and Saints & Sinners.

Steparty (Flemington, R2)

It certainly wasn’t the biggest race of the day but Steparty’s victory in race two showed that he’s going to be a serious spring player for the Preusker camp. Connections reportedly knocked back a seven-figure offer for the colt after his second win, so they would have been feeling equal parts joy and relief after the 2YO toyed with his Flemington opposition to make it three dominant victories from as many starts. 

Steparty walks in! 🚶‍♂ï¸Â pic.twitter.com/aBDigCelTL

— 7HorseRacing ðŸÂŽ (@7horseracing) June 17, 2023

Jockey Dean Yendall, who was kind to Steparty late, described the colt as “the best one I’ve had” – a big call given he’s ridden a number of Group 1 winners, including Yankee Rose. The Caulfield Guineas is firmly on the agenda for the son of Artie Schiller, with Yendall also suggesting there might be a nice race at The Valley for Steparty …”He’s going places … a nice 2000m at The Valley (Cox Plate) would be good in the future.”

READ: Not for sale – Preusker aiming high with unbeaten colt

Update on Linda Meech
Flemington has unfortunately been the scene of a number of falls in the last 12 months and we saw another one in the Sir Henry Bolte Handicap (2000m) when Bitcoin fell in the straight. The Lindsey Smith-trained galloper stumbled and came down but thankfully no other horses or riders were impacted by the incident. Jockey Linda Meech was up on her feet not long after the fall before being taken to Epworth Hospital for precautionary scans for concussion. Bitcoin was captured by the clerk of the course and vetted clear of any significant abnormalities – a good result all-round given the vision.

Shaun O’Donnell (Too Dardy – Belmont R4)

The hot favourite in the 1000m race for 3YOs, things looked like they were going to be trickier than necessary when Too Dardy came out tardy, and had a fair bit of equine derriere in front of him in the short-course affair. But O’Donnell didn’t panic one iota, even after getting up on heels in the straight. He fanned out without barely breaking stride, and the horse did the rest. Cool, cool ride.

If you want to see the pearler of the day, it’s goes to Shaun O’Donnell on Too Dardy at Belmont. 1000m race, missed the start yet never panicked and rode it perfectly to win. 🔥 @Punters

— Joel (@_J0EL_) June 17, 2023

Fair win Too Dardy 👀looking forward to seeing what he can do when he gets the rub of the green 📈

— Daniel Cripps (@crippa_92) June 17, 2023

Keagan Latham (Gelatin – Rosehill R1)

Put this down in the ‘should’ve won’ files. Latham got strung up in a field of six, and it was ‘bumper cars’ action for much of the straight, as he couldn’t hit a gap. His error might’ve been not easing off heels earlier to give his horse free air for the entirety of the straight, or hunting up the inside where it appeared some gaps were emerging. Gelatin’s misfortune was some overdue fortune for the winner Tutta La Vita, who had ran second in both of her prior starts including a luckless run last start.

A tough Tutta La Vita delivers her first win from Canadian Ruler.@KPMcEvoy in the saddle for @cwallerracing. pic.twitter.com/IYdXBRPcAN

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 17, 2023

Nice start to your day if you were on Gelatin there @rosehillgardens. At least you know it can’t get any worse.

— Glenn Munsie (@MunsieGlenn) June 17, 2023

Steparty (Flemington, R2)
Today’s ‘Star Performer’ was brilliant keeping his unbeaten record intact in the Rod Johnson Handicap (1420m). A surprising drifter from $1.95 out to $2.60, Steparty put a gap on his rivals in the straight before easing up late to score by 1.25L ahead of Blazing Harry, who is also worth following.

Harry Coffey (Flemington)
Coffey notched up an early Flemington double, with wins aboard Rain Lord in the opener and Port Guillaume in the third. Getting the latter home was particularly meritorious.

Port Guillaume 😮@HTCoffey gets an early double at Flemington 👏 @lindsayparkrace pic.twitter.com/WC1K25Xexr

— 7HorseRacing ðŸÂŽ (@7horseracing) June 17, 2023

Carleen Hefel (Flemington)
Hefel joined Coffey on the riding double list after guiding Unusual Culture ($6) to a strong win in the seventh. That followed an earlier victory aboard the flying Sigh ($2.70F) from the Moody yard. Sigh’s win was her fifth from just eight outings and her second in a row over the Flemington 1100m. The margin was slender but she’s a horse going places.

Sigh gets the better of General Beau today! 😮‍💨@moodyracingpgm pic.twitter.com/AHkAinGLWN

— Racing.com (@Racing) June 17, 2023

Seonee (Flemington, R5)
Seonee played the role of ‘party pooper’, bringing an abrupt end to Party For One’s winning streak. The favourite was flat in the straight after racing on-speed but Seonee ($4.80) was anything but, zooming along the fence to salute by 1.75L for the Payne and Egan combination. She’s building a formidable record, with the impressive win her sixth from 16 starts.

Seonee with a great run down the straight at HQ! 👏 @TheBeeegan pic.twitter.com/HnyHQpC6lG

— 7HorseRacing ðŸÂŽ (@7horseracing) June 17, 2023

Regal Lion (Ipswich, R7)
The Neasham-trained Kiwi import claimed his first stakes win, the NZ Derby placegetter toughing it out in the Ipswich Cup. It was a tough staying win as Ben Thompson shook him up on the corner, with Desert Icon getting a more economical run, probably only shook up by James Orman another furlong later. But it was a case of momentum over conservation as Regal Lion lengthened late in the battle to see off Desert Icon, delivering the Cup to Neasham over Waller.

Regal Lion takes out the 2023 @tabcomau Ipswich Cup! @BenThompson2102 with a peach for @ANeashamRacing and @OTIRacing. pic.twitter.com/L8OCZra53r

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 17, 2023

Kerrin McEvoy (Rosehill)
We’ll take something away from Kerrin and say he is cashing-in in the absence of the likes of J-Mac in recent times, but he is cashing-in in a big way to be fair to him. A handful of winners at Rosehill a fortnight back was one big statement, and he had an early double there again on Saturday. Of course, he’s got nothing to prove really – he’s won pretty much all there is to win in Australian racing (the Cox Plate has eluded him), but he’s building some confidence with some of his big-name peers absent.

Nash Rawiller (Rosehill)
He initially had a book of nine for Saturday’s meeting – five were scratched. It didn’t stop Nash from poking home a double late in the day, with Vienna Princess ($6) and Garrison ($8.50) both saluting.

Fawkner Park (Rosehill, R5)
The Neasham-trained European import is now three-from-three in Australia, and claimed victory in what turned out to be a sit/sprint 2000m on Saturday. Connections have one running at Royal Ascot this week (The Astrologist), so they’d be well and truly up and about.

Hear what @ANeashamRacing had to say about the ultra-progressive Fawkner Park, after the @RacingBennett galloper recorded his third-consecutive Australian win at Rosehill earlier today! pic.twitter.com/BO6an7DWWs

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 17, 2023

Cejay Graham (Ipswich)
She chalked up a double early on the Cup day card. Upstart Legend ($4) and Mississippi Prince ($13) had her paying rent in the winner’s stall early.

Deepour (Ipswich, R5)
The lightly raced 5YO gelding is a winning machine, with his only two defeats in his time for trainer Adam Campton being when first-up. Outside of those fresh pipe-openers, he’s won all five of his starts, and Saturday’s win at Ipswich was very soft under James Orman.

Deepour put the jets on! 🚀 @JimmyOrman @CamptonRacing pic.twitter.com/TZrTNG7SXW

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) June 17, 2023

James Orman (Ipswich)
The leading Brisbane, and Qld, rider has had 800 rides in his home state this season, and is still going at above 20 per cent. It’s a remarkable strike-rate for the volume. On Saturday, he poked home a double with the wins of Deepour ($3.40F) and Chairman ($14). He couldn’t have done much more on Desert Icon (2nd) in the Cup either.

Andrew Mallyon (Ipswich, R8)
His ride on Lady Of Honour in the Eye Liner was a ripper, having to deal with the outside draw in a field of 16 to get the Hayes-mare home by 0.1L. An important win for the Coolmore-raced mare, as it was her first open-age black-type victory. Watch Mallyon’s hands – he keeps them low to keep the mare’s head in a nice rhythm, barely using her at all to give her a big a breather as possible to offset the ground covered.

Lady Of Honour takes out the Listed Eye Liner Stakes 👏 @mallyon_andrew @lindsayparkrace pic.twitter.com/AToHVdwbUd

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) June 17, 2023

Keevs (Murray Bridge, R5)
Trainer Rob Blacker clearly knew he had an out-and-out stayer on his hands when he debuted Keevs over 2000m – a real rarity in Australian racing. He didn’t win that day but he’s finished top-two in his four runs since, winning his last couple over 2600m and 2500m. The way he responded when challenged in the Murray Bridge straight was impressive and he was quite a soft winner in the end after looking vulnerable.

Keevs fends off Wolf Prince. pic.twitter.com/X3yLEt1NYl

— Racing.com (@Racing) June 17, 2023

Propice (Flemington, R1)
He’s a real ‘rocks or diamonds’ operator, Propice. His best is very good but he can really put in a shocker or two, as he did in the Flemington opener. Backed off the map to start a $3 favourite, the Hope-trained sprinter drifted back early and basically stayed there.

Rain Lord takes out the first race on the card at Flemington ☔ï¸Â @HTCoffey @SnowdenRacing1 pic.twitter.com/ZsmTA6uMlN

— 7HorseRacing ðŸÂŽ (@7horseracing) June 17, 2023

The Murray Cox Handicap beaten brigade
Expensive import Port Guillaume has been a flop in Australia but he pulled off a real upset in the third at Flemington, dashing home to score at $26 from fellow roughie Rolls at $31. Given he was coming off a couple of unplaced efforts over the jumps, it might not turn out to be the strongest form reference going forward.

Once would have expected Port Guillaume to perform like that on the first Tuesday in November rather than the third Saturday in June…

— Andrew Hawkins (@AndrewNJHawkins) June 17, 2023

Sir Davy (Flemington, R6)
‘Davy’ has lost the plot after showing plenty of early promise. The Maher and Eustace gelding started $7.50 in the Brian Beattie Handicap (1420m) but went like a $75 shot, failing to beat a runner home. The winner Not An Option enjoyed a lovely run in transit and put his rivals away over the final furlong, thoroughly enjoying the drop back in grade from the Group 1 Goodwood (1200m).

Not An Option ran in the G1 Goodwood last start & attacked the line back out to 1420m at Flemington 💪 @ballymorestabls pic.twitter.com/SmuxDZQhTx

— Racing.com (@Racing) June 17, 2023

Who Dares (Flemington, R9)
The usually consistent Who Dares ($3.60F) was never really a factor in the last at HQ, just labouring home to finish 2.1L off the winner Cause For Concern ($14). Who Dares has now been rolled at $3.80, $3.80, $2.30, $10, $5.50 and $3.60 since his last win. He’s becoming costly.

Shawn Mathrick’s Cause For Concern takes out the last race at Flemington 👏 @bennallen44 pic.twitter.com/SzKwcx0NYI

— Racing.com (@Racing) June 17, 2023

Tony Be (Rosehill, R5)
It was a sit-sprint for the 2000m, and Tony didn’t like it one bit. The clock said they went 13.43s/13.51s from the 1400m-1000m, shortly before Reece Jones (on Steplee) put something into the race when looping them. After a few ‘thereabouts’ runs from Tony, this was a stinker and he’s definitely on the outer for many punters now.

Benaud (Rosehill, R7)
He desperately needs to shed some ratings points, which you imagine he would after Saturday, as he continues to battle to find win No.2. Amazingly went around an $11 chance in a Caulfield Cup earlier this season, but he’s now struggled to make an impact his past two in Listed company.

Zoumon refuses to lie down! Would you expect anything less from @GaiWaterhouse1, Adrian Bott and @clarkyhk when they team up?

They take the Listed McKell Cup at Rosehill 🏆 pic.twitter.com/qZe24fYbp2

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 17, 2023

Desert Icon (Ipswich, R7)
It’s a fine line from hero to zero – for ‘the icon’, a narrow defeat in the feature Ipswich Cup has him in the sinner pile. Its reputation-based, of course, stringing together back-to-back narrow losses that has us thinking its between the ears. His conqueror Regal Lion had travelled wide in the finish but still came over the top of him, with Orman giving Desert Icon a more economical run. In 19 starts in Australia, he’s won three and finished 2nd on six occasions – by 0.02L, 0.1L and 0.19L plus Saturday’s narrow margin.

Dylan Gibbons on Sweet Mercy (Rosehill R2)
The favourite was a victim of a slow start all-up a significant mid-race slowdown if the in-run sectionals that flashed up live are right. They went from low 11s to low 12s midway through, making it pretty tough for those at the back to make winning ground.

Jess Eaton on Chief Altony (Murray Bridge R3)
It didn’t seem like Plan A was the rail, but after getting shuffled back from the inside position, Eaton didn’t hesitate in taking up the run. ‘The Chief’ was nearly able to bluff the fav Pudding out of it, but the better ground out wide might’ve been the difference. Not much choice for Eaton in the situation, and she at least gave the horse a sniff rather than getting held up waiting for a run that doesn’t eventuate.

Pudding found plenty to deliver Todd Pannell a Murray Bridge double 🙌 pic.twitter.com/RV3E5D9Rs0

— Racing SA (@RacingSA) June 17, 2023