News

Stepitup back to his best with thrilling QEII Cup win

26th Apr 2015

Singapore Turf Club - Michael Lee - Sunday, 26 April 2015

Big-hearted galloper Stepitup returned to the big time with a heart-stopping victory in the $350,000 Group 2 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m) on Sunday.

The five-year-old son of Hussonet has all along been from the top drawer, but his glory days during his Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge clean sweep in 2013 had not quite been replicated at his more recent campaigns, even if a couple of Group 3 trophies had had been added to his trophy cabinet.

Looking for a change of luck, the Tivic Stable moved their champion from Sonny Yeoh to Laurie Laxon at the end of last year, but even then there was no miracle transformation overnight.

But with three placings from four runs for Laxon, the signs were encouraging and certainly backed up the wily trainer who had always believed in the old saying that you can lose form but not class.

And the nine-time Singapore champion trainer was finally fully vindicated with Stepitup’s nail-biting head-win in a four-way go inside the last 50m of the Group 2 event over 2000m.

Granted the ground-saving run in fifth courtesy of marble one was a significant factor, but which was also cancelled out by the way he can be in an unwilling mood at times. Jockey Manoel Nunes had him in an ideal spot but for most of the way had to niggle at him to keep him focused on the job.

When $12 favourite Quechua (Corey Brown), who raced in second spot without cover throughout the race, swept past stablemate Slew Of Lode (John Powell) upon straightening, he still had Parranda (Michael Rodd) breathing down his neck. The CECF Singapore Cup winner launched a stinging challenge on the outside and even seemed to head Quechua who was not about to abdicate so easily.

The pair got locked in a titanic battle for most of the Kranji home straight, but more trouble was afoot when Wild Geese (Craig Newitt) suddenly regained the old form that saw him win least year’s QEII Cup as he came chiming in on the outside, while Stepitup was not far behind and was also sweating on a gap to appear within the duelling threesome ahead of him.

That gap eventually appeared and Laxon’s game galloper dove right through. In one of the most captivating finishes seen at Kranji, the four horses lunged at the post, but it was tiny Stepitup who got his head in front where it mattered to beat Quechua by that margin. Parranda ran third a short head away while Wild Geese finished fourth another head away.

Back in New Zealand to attend his good friend Philip Vela’s funeral, Laxon would have no doubt been proud Stepitup had lived up to his undeniable class and also give him a first win under his banner.

“Laurie will be rapt with that. He’s always known he was a good horse,” said assistant-trainer Shane Ellis.

“He did get off his bit from the 1000m, but Manoel dug him up and he got going. He also got crowded in the straight, but he’s such a tough fighter.

“The fact he drew the one helped, but Manoel couldn’t have given him a better run. A lot of work has gone in getting him back to where he was.

“If he pulls up good, he’s off to his main target, the SIA Cup.”

The $3 million Group 1 Singapore Airlines International Cup (2000m) to be run on May 17 has not been won by a local galloper since Ouzo took the first edition in 2000.

Whether Nunes will be the pilot then remains to be seen, but he was just happy savouring for now a hard-fought win for which he had earned every cent of his riding fee.

“He’s a small horse with such a big heart. He was just too good today,” said the Brazilian jockey.

“It was a small field, and I had to ride him for luck. But I was in a good spot on the fence and just following Quechua.

“He was also off the bridle and I had to keep pushing him and luckily, he got going again at the right moment at the 700-800m mark. He may need blinkers at his next run.”

Stepitup has now brought his impressive record to 10 wins and eight placings from 25 starts for stakes earnings in excess of $1.6 million.

The Laxon-Tivic-Nunes combination did not stop at just the QEII Cup as they went on to add another win for good measure, thanks to Ideal Guide in the next race, the $100,000 Arenti 2006 Stakes, an Open Benchmark 83 race over 1600m.

Similarly to Stepitup, Ideal Guide, a four-year-old by Red Ransom had found the winner’s circle elusive since November 11, 2014 when he reeled off a three-in-a-row, but a forceful ride along the rails saw him snap that run of outs on Sunday.

“He’s a big horse. The distance today was spot-on,” said Ellis.

“We gave him a couple of 1200m to get his fitness up, but his best distance is definitely 1600m, and I think we will be stepping him up to 1800m now.”