Can Lightning Strike Twice for Sidestep in Golden Slipper?

Media Release - Monday August 5
With nominations now in place for the 2020 Longines Golden Slipper, every owner and breeder can be forgiven for daydreaming about Australian racing and breeding's most coveted prize.

Sidestep and Joe Heather celebrate after Kiamichi's Golden Slipper win

Sidestep and Joe Heather celebrate after Kiamichi's Golden Slipper win

Joe Heather, General Manager at Telemon in Queensland, knows better than most the impact of the race we simply call 'The Slipper'.

"This time last year we were eagerly anticipating reports about Sidestep's first crop and I remember looking up the Slipper nominations when they came out.

"I spoke to the boss (Dan Fletcher) and said 'It's not looking too good. There's 2,500 entries and Sidestep only has 5.

"He just said, 'Don't worry about it mate, we only need one'."

The fateful 'one' for Telemon was superstar filly Kiamichi.

Blessed to come through a Godolphin system where every horse is given the same chance to develop into a champion, James Cummings saw a toughness and an eagerness to please in Kiamichi that convinced him the filly could win a Golden Slipper.

She has become the flag-bearer of a first crop that saw Sidestep crowned Champion First Season Sire.

Remarkably Sidestep is also a runaway leader in the first season list in his shuttle jurisdiction of France where he has four winners and two stakes horses from just nine runners.

Standing at Telemon for $22,000, this season Sidestep will for the first time in his fledgling career have a large, high-quality harem of mares.

Heather admits the modern breeding landscape dictates that weight of numbers can be what keeps a horse in the headlines.

Whilst his rising young star has given away a significant head-start to his peers in that regard, he is confident that in the long term Sidestep will rise to the very top.

"There's simply not as many Sidestep runners compared to his competitors.

"To give you one example, Deep Field, who is a horse we have a lot of respect for from a great farm, has covered 860-odd mares, whereas Sidestep is at just over 300 at the same point in their careers.

Kiamichi was a game changer for Sidestep

Kiamichi was a game changer for Sidestep

"So from our point of view we're measuring their progress by different benchmarks.

"When we look behind the raw numbers, we believe we have the most exciting young stallion in the country."

After the recent Rosehill trials (19 July), Heather spoke to Head of Darley Stallions Alastair Pulford.

"Kiamichi had gone enormous and they had another unraced Sidestep trial really nicely.

"I think that may have been why we were asked to make a little more room for Darley mares - we think James (Cummings) has asked them to send more Sidesteps!" Heather recounts with a broad grin.

Looking ahead to next year's Golden Slipper, the Queensland horseman is daring to dream once more.

"We're giving away another big start because of his numbers. Ironically this time around he's found himself with six nominations, one more than last year.

"Godolphin has one in their 'early group' named Oregon Trail who we'll be watching closely. Maybe lightning can strike twice?"

News from Telemon Thoroughbreds
Advertisment
More Reading...
A Torryburn Gasp Before their Plain Bay Fellow Wins G1 No 4
The Torryburn stud team, watching as they always do when their ‘plain bay fellow’ races, would have had a gasp or two mid race but it ended up as easy as it comes with Voyage Bubble making it three Group I wins from his last three starts in the Hong Kong Gold Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday.
World First G1 Success for Rachel King in Japan
Leading Australian jockey Rachel King is no stranger to Group I success, but achieved a first in Japan on Sunday in becoming the first woman to ride a G1 winner on the JRA circuit when steering Costa Nova to victory in the February Stakes (1600m) on the dirt.
Sires With Winners - Sunday February 23
Here is the full list of 73 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
G1 Pedigree Watch – Helen Street Making Her Presence Felt
We saw two brand new Group I winners in Australia on Saturday and both super interesting on the pedigree front with one of them a $1.4million yearling and the other a Kiwi bred sprinter, who continued the G1 winning run for the Street Cry sireline and we also take a look at why you need to know more about Helen Street.
One to Watch – Grafton
Kooringal Stud’s bargain blueblood sire Sandbar has been the most searched stallion on Breednet this year through hypothetical matings and that’s thanks to his unbeaten super exciting 2YO Shaggy and at Grafton on Monday he produced another scintillating debut winner.
G1 Bonecrusher Stakes Next for Orchestral
Cambridge trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood will head into next week’s Champions Day at Ellerslie with a trio of leading chances, with all three pleasing in their final hit-outs at the Auckland track on Saturday.
Is Sidestep the Best Value Sire in Australia?
Champion colt of his year SIDESTEP has made a dream start to his stud career with Golden Slipper winner KIAMICHI rocketing him to the top of the First Season Sires Table and behind only heavyweights I AM INVINCIBLE and SNITZEL in the 2YO Sires Premiership.
Sires With Winners - Monday February 24
Here is the full list of 16 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
How Do You Measure Success?
There are a lot of ways to measure the success of a stallion, but for elite breeders looking to produce serious racehorses it’s all about Black Type horses and this young stallion has really spread his wings.
French Stakes-Winner for Sidestep
Exciting young sire Sidestep sired his first Northern Hemisphere stakes-winner overnight with promising two yea-rold colt Real Appeal winning the Listed Prix La Flèche at Maisons-Laffitte.