Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Jye McNeil is unfazed with a wide gate for exciting filly Steinem in Saturday’s $127,250 Group 3 Auraria Stakes (1800m) at Morphettville.
The daughter of Frankel won a Pakenham maiden before she created a big impression by showing a brilliant turn of foot to win by 3.5 lengths at Sandown and is marked a $2.05 favourite with tab.com.au despite drawing gate 20.
“I’d say she’s good enough to overcome it if she runs up to Sandown,” McNeil – who has enjoyed a stunning 12 months winning the Geelong, Bendigo, Hobart and Australian Cups, along with his Melbourne Cup win aboard Twilight Payment – said on racing.com.
“I think she’s only going to improve stepping up in distance to the 1800m.”
Born in Europe, Steinem fetched $400,000 as a yearling, being a grand-daughter of star French two-year-old filly Miss Tahiti.
McNeil said the fact the filly can sit off the speed was an asset knowing she has drawn wide in the Australasian Oaks lead-up.
“She’s obviously a talent and her pattern is to blend into the second half of the field anyway,” McNeil said.
“So, I’m not too concerned about the draw. Hopefully she can get a good run in transit.”
The Symon Wilde-trained Sirileo Miss is the only other horse under single figures in the market at $8 with SA filly Ecumenical marked a $10 chance despite her disappointing effort against the boys in the Port Adelaide Guineas last weekend when she was beaten 10.6 lengths and beat just two runners home.
However, jockey Jessica Eaton said punters can put a line through the run after she was boxed in behind the horses first time in short but successful career.
In-form apprentice Jacob Opperman’s breakthrough win in the Guineas hasn’t gone unnoticed, with the 17-year-old booked by Matt Ellerton and Simon Zahra to ride Divine Diosa in the feature.
IMAGE: Auraria Stakes favourite Steinem winning at Sandown last month. PHOTO: Racing.com
