A ‘freshened up’ Steps In Time will head to the races for the final time when she lines up in the Group 1 $500,000 Sky Racing Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Steps In TIme has freshened up nicely for the Tattersall's Tiara at Eagle Farm. Photo by Steve Hart.
Trainer Joe Pride can see the best chance of Steps In Time starting her stud career with another Group 1 win beside her name was to keep the six year old mare on the fresh side.
“I’m really pleased with her, she’s freshened up nicely, I had a good chat with the (owners) when I first took over this mare, and said if we’re going to travel her (interstate), we need her fresh for it — we need to take a horse with speed in her legs,” Pride told The Daily Telegraph.
“It looked like one of the most conclusive things about her, that she raced best fresh, and you wouldn’t get any more than three or four runs out of her each preparation — you could, but she wouldn’t be at her optimum.”
Steps In Time has only had three runs for Pride since being transferred from the John O’Shea stable and scored her maiden Group 1 win with a daring front running ride from Jim Cassidy in the Group 1 $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill on March 22.
The Danehill Dancer mare then failed on a heavy track when thirteenth to Lankan Rupee in the Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 12 before being sent for a short a break.
Steps In Time has since freshened up in great order and pleased the Pride stable with six lengths win in an 800m Warwick Farm barrier trial last Friday with Cassidy aboard.
“Her form is hard to assess because she hasn’t raced in a while, but her trial the other day indicated she’s in really good order,” Pride said.
Cassidy will head to Brisbane on the weekend to team up with Steps In Time again and reported that he was also very impressed with barrier trial win.
“She ‘trucked’ around, her trial was very good,’’ Cassidy said.
“I must say she probably trialled every bit as good as she did prior to going into the Coolmore Classic.
“She trialled like I expected her to and I wanted her to do that going into a Group 1 race.’’
With trainer Ciaron Maher deciding against starting boom filly Srikandi, Steps In Time gets her chance to challenge for favouritism in the Tattersall’s Tiara.
Cassidy should have no problems getting an easy lead after Steps In Time draw barrier two in the seventeen horse field.
Dual Group1 winner Red Tracer (gate 14) and Catkins (1) from the powerful Chris Waller stable will no doubt be high up in the market order as will Gai Waterhouse’s pair of Cosmic Endeavour (5) and Driefontein (3).
