Step Aside strikes again at Randwick

[Wandering Eyes]

New Zealand-bred gelding Step Aside (NZ) (Redwood) took his earnings to the brink of half a million dollars with a well-timed finish in Saturday’s A$160,000 Petaluma Handicap (1300m) at Randwick.

Originally purchased for just $2,300 on Gavelhouse.com, the Chris Waller-trained son of Redwood has now won six races in his 26-start career, backed up by five second placings and four thirds. The six-year-old has earned A$480,400 for his OTI Racing ownership syndicate.

Step Aside is proving to be particularly effective at the 1300m distance. Saturday’s race was his 11^th attempt at the trip, over which he has now recorded four wins and three placings.

Off the scene since an unplaced finish at Rosehill in July, Step Aside resumed with a fourth over 1300m at Rosehill on December 7. He headed to Randwick on Saturday for his second-up assignment at the same distance, where apprentice jockey Siena Grima’s 3kg claim reduced his weight to 58kg.

Step Aside drew the second from outside gate, and Grima took him back and settled fourth from last in the early stages of the race.

Grima angled him to the outside in the straight and began to move Step Aside through his gears. He drew up alongside Mafia (Written Tycoon), Alabama State (Alabama Express) and Plundering (Shooting To Win) with 100m to run, and finished over the top of them to win by just under a length.

OTI Racing took special satisfaction from the win, which capped a Saturday double for New Zealand-breds carrying their navy blue and gold hooped colours. Wymark (NZ) (Savabeel) had previously taken out the A$130,000 Sportsbet Fixed Odds Exotics Handicap (1800m) at Caulfield Heath.

“Step Aside continues his ultra-consistent form and makes it a state-to-state double for the OTI colours,” the prominent syndicator said on Facebook. “Step Aside is a tough, reliable performer who keeps delivering when it counts. Congratulations to all connections on another terrific result.”

By Redwood out of the winning Roc de Cambes mare Teena Rox (NZ), Step Aside was bought by Cambridge trainer Ralph Manning for $2,300 on Gavelhouse.com in March of 2021. Step Aside won an 800m trial on the Cambridge synthetic track in October of 2022 before his sale to OTI.

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