Steparty, Paul Preusker’s standout galloper from last winter, has been gelded in preparation for a Spring Carnival comeback.
The son of Artie Schiller won his first five races, including the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude, but struggled during the Queensland Carnival.
“We were always dreaming he might make it as a stallion and you leave it as long as you can, but with his breeding, he probably was going to need a couple of Group 1s and he hadn’t.” Managing owner and breeder Greg Baldwin explained.
“It wasn’t really a hard decision to make, it was a bit of a gimme and had to happen. He has come through it well and looks a million bucks.”
Baldwin noted Steparty performed well in Queensland but could have shown more effort in the Stradbroke Handicap.
Steparty is halfway through a six-week spell at Mount Tamborine and may undergo pre-training in Queensland to benefit from a change of environment.