Jumps superstar Stern Idol made light of his metric record 75kg to win a second Brierly Steeplechase at Warrnambool on Tuesday. The champion chaser overcame a challenge at the famous Tozer Road double to defeat second favourite Hit The Road Jack by 4½ lengths over 3450m.
Agricolo set the all-time Brierly weight record in 1927 with 12.7 stone, about 79.5kg. Stern Idol, who won the Brierly in 2024 with 73kg, carried the metric record 75kg this year. Hit The Road Jack and Castrofrancaru poked up inside Stern Idol around the tight Tozer Road turn, forcing the $2 favourite wide.
Trained by Ciaron Maher, Stern Idol lost ground but recovered quickly under jockey Steven Pateman to reclaim the lead. “I was a bit nervous at the bottom of the hill,” Maher said. Pateman noted the horse slipped a little but responded when challenged, saying, “Once they headed him he was like hang on a minute, he came like he had 55kg on his back.”
French-bred Stern Idol has dominated Victorian jumps since 2022 with 15 wins from 23 starts over obstacles, surging past $1 million in prizemoney. Maher toasted a sixth Brierly victory, moving within one of legendary jumps trainer Jim Houlahan, while Pateman has now won the feature steeplechase seven times.
Stern Idol is one of the largest horses in training in Australia at about 18 hands and 615kg. Managing owner and breeder Gerry Ryan lauded the performance: “I certainly was a little bit nervous (with the weight) … what a win.”
