The pre-race words of trainer Ciaron Maher were ringing in the ears of Steven Pateman as he brought Stern Idol to the bottom of the hill in the Brierly Steeplechase at Warrnambool.
Pateman was aboard Tuesday’s $2.10 favourite at the Tozer Road double in the 3450m steeplechase, the feature race on the opening day of the three-day Warrnambool Carnival.
“When I’m in a race, I can hear Ciaron’s instructions in the back of my mind,” Pateman told racing.com.
“And Ciaron actually said, don’t be dragging him around that turn, a big horse and with that recent rain on the ground.
“He did slip a little bit on the ground, and it was probably lucky that Aaron Lynch booted up (on Castrofrancaru), and I didn’t start pulling him around.”
Stern Idol lumped a modern day record of 75kg to victory in Tuesday’s race, eclipsing the 73kg he carried to victory in the 2024 edition.
Headed after leading to the bottom of the hill, Stern Idol regained the lead with 1000m left to run before running out a 4-½ length winner from Hit The Road Jack ($2.60) with Castrofrancaru ($15) a further 2-½ lengths away third.
Pateman said when Stern Idol was headed after the Tozer Road double it spurred the gelding on.
“Once they headed him, he said ‘hang on a minute’,” Pateman said.
“He felt like he had 55 kilos on his back, not 75 (kg). He’s a big unit and I’m just lucky.
“He’s super special.”
Maher loves returning to Warrnambool each year having cut his teeth firstly as a jumps jockey and then with a small string at the beachside town.
He has now grown to have one of Australia’s biggest stables but has a soft spot for the jumpers and Stern Idol’s victory was his fifth in the Brierly Steeplechase.
Maher admitted to being nervous when the placegetters jumped up on the inside of Stern Idol crossing back onto the course proper but praised Pateman for his coolness.
“I was a bit nervous at the bottom of the hill, but Steve was cool, calm and collected,” Maher said.
“He’s been such a good horse over a number of years, and it is a credit to the entire team and the owners as well.”
