TDN RISING STARS

May 13, 2009 - NAAS, Race , Cond, EUR €17,500, 6f, 18.2000

Steinbeck (Ire), C, 2009, by Footstepsinthesand (GB)

1st Dam: Castara Beach (Ire), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Sea Harrier (GB), by Grundy (Ire)
3rd Dam: Anchor (GB), by Inchinor (GB)

Owner: Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier
Breeder: Dr D Harron
Trainer: Aidan O'Brien

Steinbeck was the subject of encouraging home reports before stepping onto the track and was considered smart enough to tackle previous winners in this racecourse bow. He justified the hype in a manner befitting favorable bulletins and took this spicy heat in impressive fashion. Alert from the gate, the 100,000gns TATDEC foal and 250,000gns TATOCT yearling travelled smoothly on the front end through solid early fractions. Pushed along to claim the outright lead at the quarter-mile marker, the 9-4 second choice soon dominated and was punched out in the latter stages to easily account for the smart Gold Bubbles (Street Cry {Ire}) by 2 1/2 lengths. "He's a nice colt and was ready to come racing," trainer Aidan O'Brien told Racing Post. "He is one to look forward to and we'll see how he is when we get him home, but he's in all those [big] races and is a real natural horse." Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, €12,093.