STERN Idol put on ‘a clinic’ to trounce a quality field by 10 lengths in last Sunday’s Crisp Steeple over 4,200 metres at Sandown.

Turning the screws at the treble up the hill the final time, a mile from home, Steven Pateman just had to keep the Irish-bred Raven’s Pass gelding focused. A peep over the shoulder on clearing the third last confirmed the damage the pair’s pace had inflicted.

Six lengths in front into the home straight and cleanly over the last, it was an imperious effort that drew comparisons against the best as Stern Idol completed back-to-back wins in the Crisp Steeple.

Second in the A$150,000 feature was his Ciaron Maher Racing stablemate Rockstar Ronnie who tried gallantly, as Tom Foolery took third.

Class above

“He’s just a class above them,” said Pateman who said he followed the same race plan as Willie McCarthy used on Stern Idol last year. “It’s very nerve-racking coming to the last as there’s just silence and there’s only one person who can muck it up which is me, but once we were over the last it was happy days.”

Pateman added that Stern Idol may be a chance for the Grand National Steeple at the end of the month though it would depend a lot on the handicapper.

Stern Idol failed to complete the 4,500 metre course in the 2023 edition.

ENGLISH jockey Will Gordon took out Sunday’s A$300,000 Grand National Hurdle aboard Affluential, a six-year-old full-brother to the 2021 Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant.

Affluential, owned by Bob Peters and trained by John Leek Jnr, was racing mid-pack in the tightly bunched field of 10. Gordon was given a torrid time on Affluential who had grabbed hold of the bit and was into the bridle the majority of the 4,200 metres. Travelling up to the leader approaching the home bend, Gordon had a look over both shoulders on straightening but needed to ride hard for the remainder.

Pulling out all stops, Affluential kept The Good Fight at bay who finished fast but could not get the better of the winner. Third was the American-bred Leaderboard.

“At no stage did I feel comfortable,” said Gordon on dismounting. “This is super satisfying. We targeted this race from a long way out so it’s pretty special,”

The win was Leek’s second Grand National Hurdle having won this race in 2004 with Team Heritage who was ridden by his daughter Andrea when the race was still run at Flemington.

“I was just trying to stay calm and watch the race,” said Leek. “It was his for the taking. I just thought if he got to the front too soon we could have a problem. He does switch off a bit, he doesn’t stop trying, but he doesn’t try as hard when he hits the front too soon.”

WILLIE McCarthy is facing more time on the sidelines with surgery now likely following his dislocated shoulder sustained in a fall at Casterton in late June.

“It’s going to be a while, unfortunately, I have an appointment with my specialist in Melbourne this week and they reckon he’ll have to do surgery,” said McCarthy. “There’s two tears on my rotator cuff so he’s got to stitch those back on the muscle and then post-op you’re in a sling for six weeks. Then it’s not until three months after the operation that you can begin rehabilitation.”

The 41-year-old works at Ciaron Maher Racing’s Ballarat stable and is keen to continue the association.

“I love it out here and Ciaron is one of, if not the, biggest trainers in the world with the numbers of horses and success he has, so I’m incredibly grateful to get the opportunity to work in his yard with horses of such quality like Stern Idol.”

THE early favourite for the Melbourne Cup, Circle Of Fire, formerly trained by Sir Michael Stoute for King Charles III but now at Ciaron Maher Racing in new ownership, went to Moonee Valley this week as he begins to ramp up his Cups preparation.

“It’s always good to get him away from home and also have a look around The Valley,” said Ciaron Maher, having spelled Circle Of Fire after his Sydney Cup win in April.

“He had a progressive gallop, we didn’t ask too much of him, he’s got a long spring ahead of him. He’ll run in a couple of weight-for-age races, most likely the Makybe Diva, and then head to the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups,” added Maher.

In further spring news, OTI Racing has a number of European imports scheduled to come to Australia this spring, including the the Harry Eustace-trained Docklands and the recently acquired Saganti out of the Mikel Delzangles stable.

Added to those Phillip Stokes will train the former Joseph O’Brien stayer Deakin, Annabel Neasham will train the Andrew Balding horse Portsmouth and Henry Dwyer will prepare the French-bred Paradise Storm.