Stepitup Crashes the Party in Kranji Mile

All the attention in Sunday’s Kranji Mile was on Horse of the Year Spalato (NZ) (Elusive City), but he failed to shine in his third-up run and the talented Stepitup (Aus) (Hussonet) proved the chief beneficiary.

Champion of his generation in 2012, Stepitup was seventh to Dan Excel (Ire) (Shamardal) in the G1 Singapore Airlines International Cup in May, but bounced back to beat Wild Geese in the Chairman’s Trophy in July. Disappointing when sixth as the favorite in the Committee’s Prize over this trip Sept. 20, he was no better than third choice here behind 2-5 Spalato.

Eased back to trail for the opening six furlongs, Stepitup stuck to the inside and was ridden for luck by Michael Rodd as Spalato, prominent throughout, loomed up three deep going apparently well at the head of the lane. The gap came for Stepitup three off the rail nearing the furlong marker and he burst clear impressively as Spalato tailed off to finish out of the top three.

“They told me he was a funny horse to ride and I sure had to give some slapping and kicking to hold a spot before I eventually let him go,” Rodd commented. “He made the run coming around the corner and I was able to get a lovely run through.”

Jockey Manoel Nunes was left to ponder what went amiss with Spalato.

“He lost his right front shoe, but I don’t know if it was the only excuse. He just didn’t run his race,” said the Brazilian rider commented.

Next up for Stepitup is the Raffles Cup over 1800 meters Oct. 25, the final local prep for the 2200-meter Singapore Gold Cup, the most prestigious and richest race on the local calendar Nov. 15. No horse has ever swept all three races. Click for the Singapore Turf Club chart. VIDEO.

PANASONIC KRANJI MILE S., S$500,000 (US$351,671), Kranji, 10-4, 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:34.59, gd.
1–STEPITUP (AUS), 128, g, 6, Hussonet–Ain’t Seen
Nothin’ (Aus) (MSW & G1SP-Aus, $405,136), by
Nothin’ Leica Dane (Aus). (A$90,000 yrl ‘11
INGPRE). O-Tivic Stable; B-Arrowfield Pastoral Pty
Ltd & Planette Thoroughbred Trading; T-Laurie
Laxon; J-Michael Rodd; S$297,500. Lifetime Record:
Ch. 3yo-Sin, 33-15-4-4, S$2,534,836. *1/2 to
Ain’tnofallenstar (Aus) (Starcraft {NZ}), MSW-Aus,
$175,530; and Bachman (Aus) (All American {Aus}),
GSW-Aus, $227,608.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]2–Quechua (Arg), 128, g, 5, Pure Prize–Queen Cabaret
(Brz), by Wild Event. O-Avengers Stable. S$106,250.
3–Wild Geese (GB), 128, g, 6, Exceed and Excel (Aus)–
Court Lane, by Machiavellian. (€34,000 HRA ‘12
GOFHIT). O-Hippocrates Stable. S$53,750.
Margins: 4, HF, 3/4. Odds: 7.80, 3.60, 11.20.