Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Brilliant speedster Steno enhanced her reputation as one of the best pacing mares in Australia when she outclassed her rivals in the Group 3 Laurie Kennedy Free-For-All over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Her sparkling frontrunning performance which saw her speed over the final 800m in 55.3sec. and beat stablemate Peaceful by four lengths at a 1.52.6 rate gave further proof that she deserves a start in the $200,000 Queen Elizabeth Mile over 1609m at Menangle on May 10.
“I would love Steno to be invited to run in this race in Sydney,” said trainer-driver Jocelyn Young. “She has all the times on the board and should measure up to the best mares in the country. I can’t see that there is a mare faster than her.”
If Steno is invited to run in the Queen Elizabeth Mile, Young would consider keeping her on the eastern seaboard to contest the Group 1 $150,000 Golden Girl Sprint over 1660m at Brisbane’s Albion Park on July 19.
Young is looking at starting Steno in the $50,000 Lord Mayor’s Cup over 2130m next Friday week, followed by the $35,000 Golden Girls Mile over 1684m at Pinjarra on March 17 and the Group 2 $75,000 Empress Stakes over 2536m at Gloucester Park on April 18.
Steno, who was having her first start for seven weeks on Friday night, was the $1.20 favourite who had no trouble in charging straight to the front from the No. 4 barrier. The polemarker Peaceful ($11) then had a perfect trail behind Steno, while the brilliant Water Lou ($10) was not bustled out from out wide at barrier seven.
Water Lou, resuming after a four-month absence, was seventh at the bell and impressed when she surged home, out wide, from last on the home bend to finish an eye-catching third, a head behind Peaceful.
Young said that Steno was having her first start for seven weeks because there had been no suitable races for her. “So, I gave her a fortnight off and then aimed her at tonight’s race,” she said.
The six-year-old Steno, bred in New South Wales by her owner Dianne Kelly, has amassed $541,203 in prizemoney from 23 wins and 13 placings from 48 starts. Five-year-old Peaceful has been a splendid understudy, having earned $193,431 from eight wins, eleven seconds and four thirds from 34 starts.