Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Talented New South Wales-bred mare Steno will be having her first start for 195 days when she contests the Frank And Frankel Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night at her West Australian debut, and her trainer Cameron Ross is confident of a strong showing.
Steno’s clash at her first appearance as a four-year-old with the Victorian-bred five-year-old mare Blaze Coops is sure to arouse considerable interest.
Steno, who will be driven by Jocelyn Young from barrier four, has raced successfully in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, and she has earned $184,719 from ten wins and eight placings from 21 starts.
She was turned out for a spell after finishing eleventh behind Encipher in a semi-final of the Victorian Breeders Crown for three-year-old fillies over 2240m at Melton last November.
“This was the only blemish during in her most recent three months of racing,” said Ross. “You can’t take anything out of that run because they went slow (when she was at the rear) and then super fast when she was off the track.
“So, she then had a good three-month break before coming back into work. She track-worked at Pinjarra this morning (Tuesday) and was good, and she had a bit of a private trial on Saturday when she worked quite well.
“She is a class horse, and she hasn’t had a trial. I don’t like trialling too much, and I think that this should be a nice race for her to start with.
“She has gate speed and late speed and is a pretty rounded horse.”
Steno, who is by the American sire Sweet Lou and is the ninth foal out of former star mare Lady Waratah, a winner of four Group 1 events who was retired with a record of 36 starts for 20 wins, eight placings and $564,770.
A highlight of Steno’s career was her victory in the Group 1 APG Gold Bullion for three-year-old fillies over 1609m at Menangle in April of last year when she rated 1.53.4 and the 400m sections were covered in 26.4sec., 31.7sec., 28.1sec. and 27.2sec.
Three months after that Steno finished third in the Queensland Oaks at Albion Park, and as a two-year-old she went 1.51.9 over 1609m at Newcastle.
“Around Gloucester Park you have got to go forward,” said Ross. “Steno has the gate speed to go forward; I’ll leave that up to Jocelyn.”
Blaze Coops, trained by Shane Tognolini and to be driven by Shannon Suvaljko, has been most impressive after resuming from a spell. At her first appearance for seventh months Blaze Coops began from the outside barrier (No. 9) in a 2130m event at Gloucester Park three Tuesday ago and burst to the front after 200m, set a solid pace and rated 1.58 in beating Just For Love by a head.
Six days later she led from barrier five and then took a trail before finishing strongly to win easily from Benji, rating 1.57.1 over 2185m at Pinjarra. And six days after that Blaze Coops was not extended in winning a 2150m Byford trial by eight lengths at a 1.59.4 rate.
Part-owner Reg Musgrave said that he expected a bold showing from Blaze Coops on Friday night when the mare will start from the No. 6 barrier. “She has a lot of gate speed, and she will be coming out. And if she gets to the front she will be running along. She also performs well with a sit, like she did at Pinjarra.”