By Sean Cronin
Who's Steph (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) bettered a Sept. 9 debut ninth over this course and distance with a breakthrough score upped to one mile at Naas in her only other prior start Oct. 4, and she took a giant leap forward with a game win in this black-type bow and sophomore return. The grey broke well to race in a handy third initially and bounded to the front before halfway. Last off the bridle in the straight, she ran on powerfully under a final-furlong drive to turn down all challenges and register a career high. “She did that well and went through the [heavy] ground,” said trainer Ger Lyons. “If it was good ground we wouldn't have run her because she wants every bit of a mile. You'd have to be impressed with her and her temperament is to die for. She does everything I want at home and I'm impressed with her. We'll go home, sit down and make a plan, but we don't have big early closing entries with her. I'm not a traveller and I love staying at home, so we'll find something for her here [in Ireland] and there will be no firm in the going description. There's every chance she could come back here [for the G3 Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial] next month, but if a good offer comes in she'll be sold because she's a filly. This is the first batch of fillies we've ever bought. The horses are well, I'm delighted with them and the ways things are going. The only negative is that I didn't have the balls to put her in the [G1 Irish 1000] Guineas. The second closing was the other day and I told the lads we'll leave it and not be silly.”
Who's Steph is one of two scorers and the leading performer for Llew Law (GB) (Verglas {Ire}), and she is a half-sister to the gelded dual winner Thunder Crash (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), who is one year her senior, and a 2-year-old colt by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire). Llew Law is a half-sister to stakes-winning G3 Molecomb S. third Hototo (GB) (Sleeping Indian {GB}), out of Listed Prix de Thiberville placegetter Harlem Dancer (GB) (Dr Devious {Ire}), and the winner's fourth dam is G1SW French champion juvenile filly Hippodamia (Hail to Reason).
Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland
BALLYLINCH STUD PRIORY BELLE 1000 GUINEAS TRIAL S.-G3, €65,000, LEO, 4-14, 3yo, 7fT, 1:39.01, hy.
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
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (€20,000 Wlg '15 GOFNOV; €40,000 Ylg '16 TIRSEP). O-Sean Jones; B-Patrick Headon (IRE); T-Ger Lyons; J-Colin Keane. €38,350. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $59,228. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Yulong Gold Fairy (GB), 126, f, 3, Mount Nelson (GB)–Quite A Thing (GB), by Dutch Art (GB). (3,000gns Wlg '15 TATFOA; €8,000 Ylg '16 GOFSPT). O-Zhang Yuesheng; B-Lady Fairhaven (GB); T-Dermot Weld. €13,000.
3–I Can Fly (GB), 126, f, 3, Fastnet Rock (Aus)–Madonna Dell'Orto (GB), by Montjeu (Ire). (240,000gns Ylg '16 TAOCT). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Rockwell Bloodstock (GB); T-Aidan O'Brien. €6,500.
Margins: 1HF, HF, 1HF. Odds: 10.00, 6.00, 3.50.
Also Ran: Sometimesadiamond (Ire), Butterscotch (Ire), Iiex Excelsa (Ire), Ship of Dreams (Ire), Sarrocchi (Ire), Damselfly (Ire), Alpha Centauri (Ire), Dianthus (Ire), Actress (Ire), Gasta (Ire). Scratched: Katie Cruel (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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