Racing
WFA stars complete the double
Sanniya and Steparty repeated their weight-for-age victories on Hobart Cup Day earlier this month, completing the double in Launceston on Wednesday.
Outstanding three-year-old filly Sanniya passed her biggest career test with flying colours, proving far too good in the $150,000 Group 3 Country Club Tasmania Vamos Stakes (1400m).
The increase in distance to 1400m was speculated to be a potential obstacle for Sanniya ($1.40 fav), but she made light work of those concerns, taken straight to the front by Craig Newitt and proving too strong for Victorian mare Grid Girl ($5.50), who settled second in the run and had every chance to get past the leader.
"She's a jockey's dream. She flies the lids within 50m, and then you just rate her along. From the 600m, she improved and improved again at the 400m. Like a lot of good horses, she gets everything else at their top, and they can't sustain," Newitt said.
Sanniya, crowned last season's top Tasmanian two-year-old, has been every bit as good at three. Her summer has consisted of wins in the Carpet Charge, Lady Lynette, Mystic Journey and now the Vamos, beating older horses on each occasion.
"She'll go to the paddock now, and when we come back, we'll probably try something different and go to Melbourne. She's done a good job, she's ready for a break," said winning trainer Barry Campbell .
Newitt had a memorable Launceston Cup Day, winning earlier in the program aboard Agnete ($4.20) in a class 4 (1400m), and Swift Force ($2.90) in the $125,000 Lime Finance 3YO Classic (1200m).
Steparty stamps his class
Victorian-trained Steparty once again took down the local star Durazzo ,with an authoritative win in the $150,000 Listed BWS Hellova Street Stakes (1600m).
Steparty ($2.25), trained at Horsham by Paul Preusker ,won the Thomas Lyons over 1400m in Hobart last start. Although he hadn't previously won beyond that distance, he stormed past his rivals after settling last, beating Cartoon Graveyard ($15) and Durazzo ($2.05 fav) in third.
"Johnny (Allen, jockey) had a bit of confidence with the other favourite (Durazzo), back to his inside so he could just relax and take his time," Preusker said.
Steparty won his first five career starts, culminating with a Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude as a 3yo back in September 2023.
He was then out of the winner's stall until his Thomas Lyons success and has clearly relished his time in Tasmania. After completing the weight-for-age double down south, Steparty will now head back across Bass Strait, where Presusker will tackle some of the best horses in the country.
"We will get him in the All-Star Mile and the Doncaster."
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