Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Steel The Show is a redoubtable stayer and an experienced campaigner in standing-start events, and this adds up for the seven-year-old to be an ideal contender for the $35,000 Marathon Handicap over the testing journey of 3309m on August 16.
He has won four times over 2536m, and he began off the 30m mark in last year’s Marathon when he finished second to Youre So Fine. And in November 2021 he finished an excellent fourth in the 3200m Group 1 New Zealand Cup at Addington, finishing behind star pacers Copy That, Self Assured and South Coast Arden in the field of 16.
Steel The Show also showed his class when fourth behind Betterzippit, Spirit Of St Louis and Jumpingjackmac in the Nullarbor at Gloucester Park in April of last year.
He raced in 22 stands in New Zealand for three wins (including a victory on debut in a 2600m stand at Rangiora on November 8, 2019), six seconds, two thirds and three fourths, and he has contested five stands in WA for a win and two placings.
Steel The Show began from the 20m mark in the Happy 80TH Birthday Jesse Moore Handicap over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he was the class runner in the field of eleven and was at handsome odds as the $2.30 favourite.
Trained by Greg and Skye Bond, Steel The Show was driven with supreme confidence by Deni Roberts, who was happy to allow the Bettors Delight gelding to race in eighth position while the $11 chance Feeling Aces was bowling along in front.
Roberts started a three-wide forward move with Steel The Show with 1050m to travel and the final 400m sections were run in 27.9sec. and 28.7sec. with Steel The Show getting to the front 55m from the post and winning by a length and a half from Feeling Aces.
“We got a nice getaway, and it mapped out well for me; everything was where I wanted it to be,” said Roberts. “It is a bit different for the Free-For-Allers (like Steel The Show). They can run for three quarters, while the others can only run two.
“I have confidence in Steel The Show. He might not look like he’s doing it that well, but he finds that other gear.”
Steel The Show has amassed $396,110 in prizemoney from 15 wins and 23 placings from 72 starts. He won at six of his 44 New Zealand starts and his 28 appearances in WA have resulted in nine wins and eight placings.