Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Brilliant five-year-old Steno, the $1.20 favourite, gave her supporters a scare when she held on grimly to beat $20 chance Little Darling by a half-head in the $100,000 Barbagallo Norms Daughter Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
As expected, Steno set the pace from the No. 2 barrier, with Chris Lewis quite content to take the sit with the polemarker Little Darling.
Steno, driven by her trainer Jocelyn Young, travelled comfortably after a 36.9sec. lead time with opening quarters of 30.6sec. and 29.2sec. before she sprinted over the final 400m sections in 27.4sec. and 27.7sec.
Lewis bided his time before he eased Little Darling off the pegs to issue a spirited late challenge.
“We were going pretty quick in the home straight,” said Young. “I was worried about Little Darling on our back, and I should have pulled back (to keep her in a pocket). It was pretty tight on the line.”
Steno, who rated a smart 1.54.7 over 2130m, will now be set for the $150,000 Mares Classic over 2536m next Friday week when she will again clash with Little Darling and the talented four-year-old Aardiebytheseaside.
Aardiebytheseaside, the $6.50 second fancy on Friday night, finished a fading fifth after racing in the breeze.
“Aardiebytheseaside put the pressure on Steno a little bit about 400m from home, but that was the closest she got,” said Young. “I knew that she had to be really good to beat us tonight.
“Running over 2536m in the Mares Classic is not her preferred distance, but she has raced three times over 2536m, winning by three lengths from Arma Xfactor in the Golden Nugget Consolation last December, and finishing second to Aardiebytheseaside in the Empress Stakes in April this year.”
Aardiebytheseaside is trained by Greg and Skye Bond, with Mrs Bond saying: “She didn’t get around the track so well tonight, and I was a little disappointed. She wanted to hang in.”
The New South Wales-bred Steno has earned $470,047 from 21 wins and 12 placings from 45 starts.