racing_news/

Steeler Confirms Potential in Royal Lodge
29/09/12

1 Steeler 11/4
2 Artigiano 7/1
3 Al Waab 4/1
NR: Afonso De Sousa (USA)
8 ran Distances: 1l, 3½l, nse
TIME 1m 35.67s (slow by 0.17s)

Trainer Mark Johnston's Steeler lived up to his name with a gritty display to land the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket under jockey Kieren Fallon.

Steeler
© Caroline Norris

Never out of the first two in four previous races, he was handy throughout off a steady pace. Frankie Dettori kicked for home on Artigiano and for a few strides he appeared to have caught Steeler flat-footed.

On hitting the rising ground, however, Steeler (11-4) really found his stride and ran on well to win by a length. The previously unbeaten Fantastic Moon met trouble in running before staying on strongly to finish fifth.

Fallon said: "He seems to be getting better and better. This extra furlong suited him. He's a horse that keeps finding for you. He'll come into his own next year - he could be a Derby horse."

Johnston said: "He's a very laid-back horse and Kieren said he wasn't doing a tap in the last furlong. Although a lot of our horses do front-run, I thought he might be making it easy for the rest of them, but I never thought he was under great pressure.

"The next step will be the Racing Post Trophy (Doncaster). We're not thinking about the Breeders' Cup at the moment but we'll take it one step at a time. He's a beautiful, big horse and we always felt that whatever he did this year there would be more to come."

Trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni said of runner-up Artigiano: "He ran all right and the main thing is he's improved all season. The Racing Post Trophy and the Breeders' Cup are both options."

Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes (Group 2)
£100,000 added, 2yo only, 1m, Class 1
8 ran
Going: Good