By Tom Frary
After Sunday's G3 Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown, the question is not so much Who's Steph (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), but who can stop her as she instantly justified George Strawbridge's recent purchase. Having caught the renowned owner-breeder's eye when successful in the G3 Ballylinch Stud 1000 Guineas Trial over seven furlongs here Apr. 14, the 3-1 joint favourite showed the same resolute qualities to become the first since Carribean Sunset (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) to complete this double. Despite the renewal being robbed of Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) due to the drying ground, its competitive nature remained intact and Who's Steph was sent up to track the early pace in second by Colin Keane as she had on contrasting heavy ground last time. Taking over passing the quarter pole, the grey stayed on strongly to secure a length verdict over Ship of Dreams (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and book a place in the line-up for the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh in a fortnight.
Trainer Ger Lyons was delighted and relieved afterwards. “I've just spoken to Mr Strawbridge and he is over the moon,” he said. “It is all well doing these deals and getting big clients into the yard, but ultimately you have to deliver and get the results on the board and that was a big one for us. She is up to winning on heavy ground and up to winning on good-to-firm ground, which is important as if she has a career in America she has to handle that. I'd say we will be supplementing for the 1000 Guineas as there is no reason we won't use today's prize-money for that. She is just one of those horses that ticks all the boxes. The box I'm most impressed with is her temperament. You can have everything, but if you don't have temperament it stops you getting to the next level.”
Pedigree Notes…
Who's Steph's personality and inherent stamina at this trip should take her a long way in the Curragh Classic and make her hard to pass, with her maiden win over a mile at Naas in October characterised by a strong-staying effort. Zoffany gets staying types like Ventura Storm (Ire) and Architecture (Ire) as well as sprinters in the mold of Washington DC (Ire) and it is notable that this filly is out of a half-sister to the speedy Listed Windsor Castle S. scorer and G3 Molecomb S. third Hototo (GB) (Sleeping Indian {GB}). The fourth dam is the G1 Criterium des Pouliches heroine and G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches runner-up Hippodamia (Hail To Reason), who produced the GII Excelsior H. winner Globe (Secretariat) and is responsible for the likes of the GI Garden City S. heroine Alexander Tango (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and the Brazilian champion Requebra (Brz) (Put It Back) among her descendants. Llew Law's 2-year-old is a colt by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Sunday, Leopardstown, Ireland
DERRINSTOWN STUD 1000 GUINEAS TRIAL-G3, €60,000, LEO, 5-13, 3yo, f, 8fT, 1:41.64, gd.
1–WHO'S STEPH (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Zoffany (Ire)
1st Dam: Llew Law (GB), by Verglas (Ire)
2nd Dam: Harlem Dancer (GB), by Dr Devious (Ire)
3rd Dam: Hymenee, by Chief's Crown
(€20,000 Wlg '15 GOFNOV; €40,000 Ylg '16 TIRSEP).
O-George Strawbridge; B-Patrick Headon (IRE); T-Ger Lyons;
J-Colin Keane. €35,400. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $101,503.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A.
2–Ship of Dreams (Ire), 126, f, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Oh
Sedulous (Ire), by Lawman (Fr). (€58,000 Wlg '15 GOFNOV;
85,000gns Ylg '16 TAOCT). O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-Dubois
Holdings Ltd (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €12,000.
3–Alghabrah (Ire), 126, f, 3, Tamayuz (GB)–Asheerah (GB), by
Shamardal. O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum;
B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (IRE); T-Kevin Prendergast.
€6,000.
Margins: 1, HF, HF. Odds: 3.00, 20.00, 9.00.
Also Ran: Chiara Luna, Harvestfortheworld (Ire), Ballet Shoes (Ire), Mary Tudor (Ire), Damselfly (Ire), Dawn Delivers (GB), Shekiba (Ire), Drombeg Dream (Ire). Scratched: Magical (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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