Stern Idol does it in style in the Australian Steeplechase
Star jumper Stern Idol produced a sublime display – under a modern weight-carrying record – to win the Australian Steeplechase (3900m) at Sandown on Sunday.
Champion jumps jockey Steven Pateman rated the Ciaron Maher -trained 73kg top weight perfectly in pursuit of a personal milestone, the previously elusive Australian Steeplechase crown.
Pateman boasted just about every other domestic jumps feature, including Australian Hurdle (four), Grand National Steeple (four), Grand National Hurdle (four) and Grand Annual Steeple (three), but an Australian Steeplechase win had eluded him before Sunday.
He largely dictated the Australian Steeple aboard Stern Idol from on or close to the speed and then fended off the gallant runner-up Leaderboard, trained by Mark Walker, in the home straight. Not Usual Dream and Heir To The Throne rounded out the top four.
Leaderboard enjoyed an economical steer from Will Gordon and 7kg weight advantage on Stern Idol.
Stern Idol soars to victory in the Australian Steeplechase! ðŸ'¥ Trained by Ciaron Maher and expertly ridden by Steve PatemanðŸ�†ðŸ�Ž pic.twitter.com/iGX1M9Y6VW
— Australian Jumps Racing Association (@AusJumpsRacing) June 1, 2025
Pateman lauded Stern Idol's performance.
'I wasn't leading from the get go and I was happy for that to unfold,' Pateman said.
'73kg leading all the way could've been his undoing. He was awesome.
'It was pretty lonely after the last with 73kg, knowing the second horse had (seven) kilos less.
'He was weighed down, he maintained the gallop but couldn't go any faster because of the weight.
'I was thinking 'I'd never won this race' … the Australian Hurdle and Australian Steeple are absolutely time-honoured events, it's super special.'
Bit Of A Lad, saddled by Maher and former co-trainer David Eustace at the time, carried 70kg to win the 2020 Australian Steeple.
Mazzacano (2009) lumped 69.5kg, while Thubiaan (2015) and Vindicating (2011) had 69kg handicaps.
Pateman said Stern Idol benefited from a campaign – a flat run and two hurdle starts – tailored to the 'target' Australian Steeple.
'He could've run in steeplechases earlier in the year and carried big weights and might've won one but too hard all the time,' he said.
'Today was a target, the way he settled he knew where he was, he knew the trip he had to run out and he was really chill.'
Sadly, Treasured Crown failed to finish and was humanely euthanized due a catastrophic leg injury.
The second favourite sustained the injury upon landing after the second last jump. Jockey William McCarthy was uninjured.
Meanwhile, Australia's emerging jumps star The Cunning Fox claimed the Australian Hurdle (3900m) from Highland Blaze and Affluential.
The Patrick and Michelle Payne -trained jumper is undefeated in six starts over the obstacles.
The six-year-old gelding was ridden to victory by his regular rider Tom Ryan.
The Cunning Fox remains perfect â�ï¸�
pic.twitter.com/1rUKA1kx1f
— Racing.com (@Racing) June 1, 2025
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