Stern Idol gives Steven Pateman the full set in Australian Steeplechase win
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.
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.'
Steven Pateman gives Stern Idol a pat after winning the Australian Steeplechase. Photo:.
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.
The Cunning Fox launches over a hurdle on his way to winning the Australian Hurdle. Photo:.
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.
Originally published as Stern Idol does it in style in the Australian Steeplechase
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
23 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins champions kids' literacy
No stranger to breaking records, Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins weighed in on the Prime Minister's Spelling Bee this week after the national spelling challenge broke all previous records for student, teacher and school registrations. With over 73,500 students now registered by over 3000 teachers at nearly 1400 schools, Cummins credited his teacher mum with instilling his own lifelong belief in the power of childhood literacy skills. When he and wife Becky welcomed their first child, son Albie in 2021, Cummins became a UNICEF Australia Ambassador because being a father 'changed everything'. 'Now as our family grows (with the birth of daughter Edith in February), so does my sense of responsibility to make sure we are building the right foundations for both of our children,' he said. The legendary fast bowler said challenges like the PM's Spelling Bee 'make learning exciting by turning it into a fun and fast-paced game'. 'The best part is that kids don't even realise how much they're taking in while they play,' he said. 'So, they're getting something good for them, which is spelling and literacy, but in a way they can enjoy.' With Albie nearly four and Edith already six months' old, Cummins said children's early years were 'when their little minds are taking in the world around them and shaping the rest of their lives'. 'It's in these years where education begins, with every bedtime story we read to them, every curious question and every proud recital of the alphabet,' Cummins said. Education was such a strong force in the Cummins family thanks to his mum's vocation, so the cricketer 'grew up understanding how powerful it can be.' Through his adult education came the knowledge that many children were not given that same chances in life. Travels through famously cricket-mad India have evolved from Cummins simply enjoying being a superstar of the game to visiting UNICEF programs for children. 'I've seen the barriers that still stand in the way of learning – such as poverty, or just the fact of being a girl,' he said. 'In Hyderabad, I visited schools where initiatives are underway to help keep girls in education, giving them the skills but also the confidence to set up their futures. Because the reality for these girls in India is that over half will have left school before Year 10. 'I saw these young minds diving into creative problem-solving, STEM, even 3D printing – their imagination alive, and their enthusiasm contagious.' But mastery of such complex subjects, he said, would be impossible without foundation literacy. 'Reading opens the doors to knowledge – letting children understand new ideas, be able to express them and find ways to make sense of a range of topics,' he said. 'It's the basis for a lifetime of learning and without it, can leave other forms of education out of reach.' The Hyderabad experience really brought home to him how important foundation literacy was for all Australian kids. 'Without it, they aren't given the chance to discover their full potential,' Cummins said. 'It's something we can't afford to ignore.' With his Howzat Pat children's book series out now, Cummins said he grew up loving adventures in books just as much as he loved playing backyard cricket with his brothers. 'Working on (Howzat Pat) … I want to encourage Albie and Edi, like my parents encouraged me, to have that same love of sport, curiosity and reading all at once – and I hope the books encourage the same thing for all kids across the country.' With the PM's Spelling Bee 'making the learning part of the everyday fun', Cummins said combining education with play was 'a huge win – no matter what the result is'. 'As a parent myself, I know how powerful this kind of learning can be,' he said. 'You can see their curiosity, they're building their confidence, and it also gives them a real sense of achievement.' UNICEF Australia head of policy and advocacy Katie Maskiell said it went further than reading and writing being the building blocks of education – they're every child's right. 'If a child can learn to read and write, they are allowed curiosity, confidence and a voice,' she said. 'Every minute spent learning brings a child closer to a brighter future, and every child deserves that chance, no matter what.' UNICEF currently works in 190 countries creating access to education in circumstances unimaginable to most children here in the Lucky Country. Elsewhere, millions of kids are living in poverty and war zones, amid floods and earthquakes, or in places where simply being a girl means no classroom access. 'UNICEF knows education is a beacon of hope for these children,' Ms Maskiell said. Run by free classroom literacy resource Kids News, registrations and the school round of the Prime Minister's Spelling Bee close at 5pm AEST on Friday 22 August. Visit ABOUT THE BEE â—� The Prime Minister's Spelling Bee is a free, online competition for students in Years 3-8. â—� Students compete at their school in three levels: Green level for Years 3-4, Orange level for Years 5-6 and Red level for Years 7-8. â—� They get 30 randomly selected words from their competition level and have 25 seconds to type each answer. The students with the most correct words in the fastest time progress to finals. â—� Teachers can register their students until August 22, when the school round ends. â—� State and territory finals will be held September 1-5 and the national finals on September 10-11. â—� The national champion in each age group wins a trip to Canberra to meet the Prime Minister, an iPad, HarperCollins book pack and a $1000 voucher for their school.
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Boomers hit the heights to power into Asia Cup final
Australia have reached the Asia Cup final after extending their unbeaten run to five games with totally convincing 92-48 defeat of Iran at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah Victory set up a Sunday showdown with similarly undefeated 16-times champions China, who defeated New Zealand in their semi-final. For Australia, the result means a shot at a third straight Asia Cup title and an opportunity to keep their perfect record in the competition intact. Boomers star William Hickey, who was named player of the game, lavished praise on his teammates, saying: ""We are proud of how, down to the last man, we handled ourselves well. "If you can play defence, you can always win games. I'm proud of just everyone down the line contributing today." Every Boomers player got on the scoreboard in a performance that showcased depth, discipline and dominance. Jack McVeigh led the way with 17 points and three triples, while Harry Wessels had 16 points and Hickey chipped in 14 as Australia dominated proceedings in Saudi Arabia. Hickey added six rebounds and as many assists in an all-around display, while Wessels provided a steady defensive presence. Owen Foxwell set the tone early with steals and a key three-pointer, and Jack White delivered highlight-reel slams to keep the energy high. For Iran, Sina Vahedi top-scored with 11 points including two triples, while Mobin Sheikhi had eight points, four rebounds and three assists. Star forward Mohammad Amini was limited to just 2 points on 1-of-9 shooting as the Boomers' defence smothered his usual offensive spark. Australia weathered Iran's early punches in the first quarter, answering with back-to-back triples from McVeigh and Reyne Smith plus a technical foul free throw to close the period up 27-20. From there, the Boomers found another gear. The second quarter saw a 24-9 burst led by Foxwell's perimeter shooting and inside dominance from White, Will Magnay and Wessels, giving the Aussies a 51-29 halftime cushion. If the first half had Iran scrambling, the third quarter finished the job. McVeigh's quick five points, punishing runs from Hickey and Wessels, and relentless defensive pressure resulted in a staggering 29-8 frame that pushed the margin to 80-37. By the time Joshua Bannan's corner triple dropped, the game was long decided. The final quarter was about managing minutes and maintaining focus, with Wessels continuing to score inside and Australia's defense ensuring Iran never threatened. The Boomers' balanced attack, rim protection and transition efficiency proved too much for a young Team Melli still finding their identity after earlier comeback wins in the tournament.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
‘Ridiculous': Harvey Norman CEO issues challenge to Aussie sport fans
Every time posts about women's sport on social media there's always a chorus of the same predictable comments. No matter what feat the girls have achieved, somewhere, someone says some variation of: 'But the women's game isn't as good as the men's'. It's this sentiment that has trailblazing businesswoman Katie Page hot under the collar and driven her to issue a challenge to sporting fans across the country. 'If you follow the men, follow the women, if you're turning up to a game to watch the men play, turn up to watch the women play as well,' she told The Harvey Norman CEO, known as much for her financial commitment to promoting both women and sport as she is for boardroom success, describes commentary about the women's AFL being inferior quality as 'ridiculous'. 'It's so ridiculous when people talk about the women's game of AFL not being as good as the men's game, these women are elites,' Ms Page said. 'I love watching it. It should be on prime time TV. These women deserve more.' On the eve of her beloved AFLW Giants first game of the season this weekend she dared sports fans to give the women's game a go. 'I don't want to hear the negative. I'm not interested … How do you make the women's AFL great? You are there for both,' she said. 'How hard is this? You're sitting at home watching the guys, watch the women too. You go to a game, take your kids to a women's game too. 'How hard can this be if you love your AFL. You've got granddaughters, you've got sisters, you've got daughters, you've got grandmothers. They're all involved in this AFL family, so give them the same support. They are phenomenal elite athletes.' Ms Page, who loved athletics and playing basketball when she was growing up, said sport was about community. In a team meeting at the team's Homebush $55 million headquarters and training and rehabilitation facility this week she told the Giants: 'This is our hood'. 'Our office is still here, we haven't moved to Macquarie Street or anywhere else. Gerry (Harvey) and I insist that we're here because you never want to lose sight of what our country looks like or what our city looks like and it is very important to us that we support clubs like this, and we support people in western Sydney because this is where we started,' she said. 'We understand the western suburbs. We're not so removed now that we've got a $10 billion turnover, we are not removed. We employ 600 people running eight countries, from Homebush West. 'So again, it's not as if we've got to a certain stage and moved. We are here to support the community from the grassroots and give these elite athletes a platform. We are here for the long haul.' Harvey Norman have partnered with the AFLW Giants since the club's inception in 2015. They've renewed their commitment to the men's and women's Giants teams for 2026 and 2027. Ms Page baulks at suggestions the investment might not be worth the return. 'It is an absolute investment in the game. Why do people look at this as a cost, not an investment, right? It's a gross cost, not a net cost, for a start. 'It's a long-term investment in the grassroots community and in supporting women and giving them opportunities to thrive. 'That's what I love about sport. It's for everyone. It's sport, education, business, and it all comes together the three, it's not just one or the other. 'You look at these young women here at the Giants and they come from everywhere, and their common passion is they are elite sports people. 'There was nothing for women in this game when we started. They didn't even have their own change rooms, they didn't have their strength coaches, they couldn't use the gym. 'In the last week there's been a lot written about the AFL, the women's game, where they're playing, why aren't they getting better broadcast timeslots? Why are there no double headers with the men, all those kinds of things. 'This is not going to happen overnight and each sporting code has their own approach to how they're bringing women through … but in 10 years look how far they have come. Yes they've still got a long way to go.'
