Steinem connections hoping for dry Australian Cup conditions
Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock owner Darren Dance will be hoping the dry weather in Victoria continues as Steinem heads towards the Group 1 Australian Cup over 2000m at Flemington on March 25.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained mare finished strongly in the Group 2 feature over 1800m on Saturday, holding out Melbourne Cup-winning stablemate Gold Trip at the finishing post in Good 3 conditions.
Her residual fitness from a two-race campaign in Perth in December – where she finished third and second in the Northerly Stakes and Ted Van Heemst Stakes respectively – had her in prime condition to do what she did on Saturday.
Those results at Ascot were also on Good-rated tracks, and before that she finished runner-up in the Matriarch Stakes on a Good 4 Flemington surface on November 5.
“She’s a dry-track horse. We wasted a whole prep in Sydney on wet tracks when it was really wet up there and pulled up stumps,” Dance told HorseBetting.com.au, reflecting on her ninth in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes on a Heavy 10 at Randwick on April 9 last year.
“And then we ended up going to Perth, which worked out really well.
“That trip’s really toughened her up and the stable’s done a great job to be able to win first-up with her after eight weeks.
“We knew she was working well, and we know she’s a high-class mare on her day.
“She just needs speed on and to unfurl that big finish she’s got.”
Because of Steinem’s impressive Group 2 Peter Young Stakes triumph, Dance said champion training pair Maher and Eustace made the right call not to stay in Western Australia and set her towards the Perth Cup.
“We weren’t convinced she’d stay that distance. So it was always the plan to go for those two runs and bring her back, and aim her towards the Australian Cup,” Dance said.
“Hats off to Ciaron and David, and the whole team there. They’ve managed her particularly well.”
2023 Peter Young Stakes – Steinem (1st)
Dance also paid tribute to star jockey John Allen’s ride, expertly summoning Steinem to lift from the outside and in fifth spot with 300m to go.
“Johnny had a plan and he executed it to perfection. He said he was going to try and be in that fourth-to-sixth position, get to the outside and let her unleash,” Dance said.
“He’s a quality rider and a very, very good judge, which is probably underrated.
“But I think with his record over a mile and further it’s probably as good as anyone’s.”
Dance also admires Allen for his temperament when things can get difficult.
“He’s a really, really good horseman. She played up in the barriers in Perth, and he didn’t jump off,” he said.
“He just laid on her and she ran third in a Group 1. We’ve got the barrier blanket on her now, and that seemed to do the trick.”
Allen believes Steinem can make a strong push for her maiden Group 1 title in the Australian Cup.
He was aboard when she finished runner-up to Atishu in the Matriarch Stakes.
“Over 2000m, she ran very well over that trip in the spring carnival,” he said.
“She’s got some ability and she’ll be mixing with the top grade, but hopefully she can.”