Trainer John O’Shea is hoping Steps In Time can prove a giant-killer in the final Group One race of the season, the Tattersall’s Tiara at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Steps In Time, a narrow last-start winner in the Listed Daybreak Lover (1400m) at Eagle Farm earlier this month, faces the biggest task of her short career when she takes on Group One company, including Doomben 10,000 winner Beaded, for the first time in the 1400-metre feature.
Steps In Time, a daughter of Danehill Dancer, is yet to miss a place in her four starts which have yielded two wins.
O’Shea is not flying the white flag with Steps In Time although he acknowledges the task confronting his three-year-old who has drawn awkwardly in barrier nine.
“My filly is only lightly raced but she’s on an upward spiral,” O’Shea said.
“The horses she’s meeting on Saturday are far superior to what she met last start but she gets some weight off against them.”
“They’re seasoned campaigners who are at the top of their game.
Steps In Time is one of four fillies who will carry 1.5 kilograms less than the mares under the weight-for-age conditions.
O’Shea sent a small team north this year for the Brisbane winter carnival and is delighted how Steps In Time has recovered from her Daybreak Lover victory.
“She worked well on the outside of the course proper on Tuesday morning at the Gold Coast,” he said.
“She’s trained on nicely and every time she steps out she makes improvement.
“She’s enjoying her time in Queensland.”
O’Shea has turned to former Queensland jockey Christian Reith to partner Steps In Time with last-start rider Corey Brown required for Beaded who drew perfectly in barrier three.
Brown won last year’s Tatt’s Tiara when it was known as the Winter Stakes on the Gerald Ryan-trained Melito.
Beaded will start a short-priced favourite to give Brown the opportunity of joining Melbourne’s Luke Nolen as the country’s leading Group One rider this season.
Nolen has ridden seven Group Ones, with five coming aboard champion Black Caviar, while Brown’s six victories have come from different stables.
Beaded broke her Group One drought in the Doomben 10,000 in May and has been placed fives times at the highest level.
The only time she missed a place at the elite level was in last year’s Stradbroke Handicap when she finished fourth, less than half a length from the winner Black Piranha.
Trainer Mike Moroney was disappointed with barrier 14 for Listed Gai Waterhouse Stakes winner Born To Rock.
Born To Rock showed she had a promising future when she led all the way in the Gai Waterhouse Classic (1350m) at Ipswich last week.
“From that draw she’ll have to go forward again,” Moroney said.
“It was always our plan to back up in this race and she’s pulled up terrific after last week’s win.”
Jockey Chad Ormsby was unable to make the three-year-old’s 53kg in the Gai Waterhouse Classic but will return to ride her in the Tatt’s Tiara, replacing Matthew Palmer.
AAP TURF
