Chairman’s Trophy goes to Stepitup

Arrowfield graduate Stepitup’s star has been high in Singapore’s sky for three seasons and there is no sign of it setting.

The 5YO son of Hussonet and Arrowfield gem Ain’t Seen Nothin’ won his eighth stakes race on Sunday, the Chairman’s Trophy 1800m Sgp-2, and did it in the unflinching, ultra-competitive manner that has earned almost $S2 million for his owner the Tivic stable.

Watch Stepitup’s Chairman’s Trophy Sgp-2 victory here.

Stepitup settled on the rails in the second half of the field before his jockey Manoel Nunes decided to take closer order before the turn.

Their chances of being in the finish didn’t look good at the top of the straight where Stepitup was momentarily blocked for a run as his stablemate Ideal Guide tried to steal the race. A gap opened just in time, Stepitup won the battle for it and set sail for the post, which he reached a quarter-length ahead of Wild Geese, with One Rar third by the same margin.

Laxon, celebrating his fifth Chairman’s Trophy victory, said, “He’s a lovely horse, only small, but all heart and an amazing will to win.

“He will have a bit of a break now and I will bring him back for the Kranji Mile and Raffles Cup later in the year.”

Stepitup was purchased for $90,000 by Cliff Brown at the 2011 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale and is one of six stakeswinners sold by Arrowfield at that Sale. (The others are Group 1 winner Snitzerland, Group 2 winner Flying Snitzel, South African Group 2 winner Honorine and Listed winners Smoko & Road Trippin’).

Bred by Arrowfield and John Leaver, Stepitup is from the multiple stakes-winning racemare and even better broodmare Ain’t Seen Nothin’ (by Nothin’ Leica Dane), also the dam of dual stakeswinner Ain’tnofallenstar (by Starcraft) and Group 3 2YO winner Bachman (by All American). Ain’t Seen Nothin’ has a rising 3YO colt by Starcraft, a weanling sister to Bachman and is foaling this Spring to Dundeel.