It’s Full Steam Ahead
It’s full steam ahead for exciting sprinter Full Steam Ahead.
Veteran trainer Noel Pateman, 68 on Thursday, is planning the five-year-old’s future around next year’s Group 1 $1 million Railway Stakes.
Full Steam Ahead, by Trade Fair, resumed with a convincing 1/2-length win in the Racing Radio Handicap (1200m) at Ascot on Saturday.
The five-year-old has now raced six times on city tracks for four wins. He was caught wide when a length fourth to Shario Torio over 1200m and when a 1/2-length third to Devilish Intent over 1400m.
Pateman plans to give Full Steam Ahead only three more runs in his current preparation. His major targets will be the Australia Day Cup (1500m) at Ascot on January 26 and the Listed Detonator Stakes (1800m) at Ascot on February 16.
He will then be turned out before being specially prepared for the Railway Stakes.
“He’s a handful,” said Pateman. “But he’s an exceptional horse.
“My daughter Nicole, who bought him for just $3,500, spends most of the day spoiling him.
“Now I don’t generally believe in spoiling horses but he needs it. And it’s getting great results, with the promise of better things ahead.
“He’s a lanky 17.2 hands and has naturally been immature. Paul Harvey said he is just starting to put it all together.
“And after Saturday’s race Jim Taylor told me he should develop into an ideal Railway horse. Jim said he just wanted to win and always appeared to have something up his sleeve.”
The Pateman’s have knocked back several offers for Full Steam Ahead, including an approach from Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse.
At his peak Pateman was one of WA’s leading trainers and had stabling for 62 horses at Anstey Beach. He now maintains a team of 12 on 60 acres at Dongara and is content spending most of his time at distant country meetings.
Full Steam Ahead, from Like A Steam Train, by Warring Nations, was bred by Mrs Lesley Allen.
Like A Steam Train won at 1300m and 1400m and is a half-sister to Oxidation (Listed Challenge Stakes), Metallurgy (11 wins and second Listed Beaufine Stakes) and Stormy Business, the dam of Beat The Storm (10 wins, Group 3 Belmont Sprint and Listed Birthday Stakes) and the ill-fated Like An Eagle (six wins, Listed Hareeba Stakes).
This is also the family of Group 1 Railway Stakes winner Old Fashion.
Trade Fair has sired 112 individual winners at 56.9 per cent.
