Steno took everything for her in Western Australia before her connections Di and Bernie Kelly brought her back last year with the intention of sending her to stud. She ran several close placings and in particular could never beat Eye Keep Smiling.
Unfortunately, Steno failed to conceive, so the Kellys gave her to Luke McCarthy for another campaign. McCarthy is also the trainer of Eye Keep Smiling, which was restarting and was a short-priced favorite.
Sweetnikkilou and Look Like Diamonds set a fast pace early on and eventually McCarthy let Eye Keep Smiling rise alongside the leaders. Steno was positioned by her driver Nathan Jack with one out and two behind Jilliby Willow.
Eye Keep Smiling took the lead on the straightening but could not sustain Steno’s final attack and went down by a short half head with outsider Isthisjustfantasy six meters away in third.
SHORTHAND JAN 24 REPEAT
Steno ran her final quarter in 26.7 seconds for a total mileage pace of 1:53.1 for the 1,710-meter run.
Jack was quite impressed after the event.
That was impressive the way she hit the line. An asset for the second horse that she was wide early on. And did a force of work. But you can’t take anything away from this filly. She nodded and chased after her hard.
Luke said if they park her (Eye Keep Smiling) and she does a little work, don’t be surprised if it gets close to her and hits her otherwise. So he was in place.
You can never be too confident coming up against one like Eye Keep Smiling, but I was super confident in the 400. If I didn’t beat her, I was going to make it a race. And she really got down on her knees. I didn’t have to look at the board to know that the second quarter would be really pedestrian and the last quarter would be super fast. What a wonderful mare.
I was convinced I had won.
There is no doubt that Eye Keep Smiling will be improved by her efforts. At this stage both Eye Keep Smiling and Steno will be ready for the Group 1 $150,000 Queen of the Pacific which will take place in Melton on February 14.
By Tony Milanese for Harnesslink
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