Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Yarloop plumber Shane Steele, whose first sporting love was as a motocross rider, celebrated his first metropolitan-class victory as a breeder, trainer and reinsman when he guided Stormyskyes to an all-the-way win in the $20,250 APG Industry Owned Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Stormyskyes, the $2.70 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, withstood an early challenge for the lead from $5 chance Tumblin Dice and was rated in fine style by the 34-year-old Steele on her way to holding off a late charge from Wall Street Girl and beating the $3.70 second fancy by a neck.
Steele comes from a family with a long involvement in harness racing, with his father Jeff and mother Jerime being active as owners, breeders, trainers and drivers.
“I used to work horses on the track when I was at primary school in Pinjarra, but I wasn’t into harness racing from the outset,” he said. “I was into motocross, but I was getting hurt too much, so I decided to drive horses about nine years ago.”
It was then that Steele wanted a pacer he could drive in trials to gain a licence to compete in races. In June 2014 the family purchased Dreamy Eyes, a mare by American sire Modern Art.
Steele gained his licence and he made his race debut driving Hurricane Zuki, who finished sixth in a race at Bunbury on November 8, 2014. Hurricane Zuki gave Steele his first win in the sulky when she scored at Pinjarra on October 12, 2015. Steele also drove Dreamy Eyes without success at her final 15 starts in 2015 before she was retired to the breeding barn.
“I bought a farm in Yarloop, and Dreamy Eyes produced my first pacer I bred from the farm,” said Steele. This foal was Stormyskyes, named after Shane and Stacey’s nine-year-old daughter Skye.
Stormyskyes is by the American-bred and former champion pacer Mr Feelgood, who amassed $3,366,157 from 39 wins and 33 placings from 114 starts. Mr Feelgood’s wins included the Interdominion Championship on the Gold Coast (beating Blacks A Fake) and the Hunter Cup at Melton in 2009, the Victoria Cup in December 2010 and the Queensland Pacing Championship at Albion Park in October 2011.
Mr Feelgood also competed in the Interdominion Championship series at Gloucester Park early in 2012 when he won a 2506m heat.
Steele gained a service from Mr Feelgood when he was the leading bidder in a silent auction at a fund-raising auction at Byford.
Dreamy Eyes, who raced 52 times for five country wins, seven placings and $28,610, had her second foal in November 2018, a colt by Fly Like An Eagle, who is named Me Flash and has shown plenty of promise, with his 23 starts producing four wins (at Pinjarra, Northam, Narrogin and Gloucester Park), six placings and $28,364.
Unfortunately, soon after that the Steeles lost Dreamy Eyes when she broke a leg in a paddock.
Stormyskyes has proved an excellent performer, and her win on Friday night took her career record to 77 starts for ten wins, 19 placings and stakes of $84,119.