Exciting First Stakes-Winner for Merchant Navy

She was a maiden going into the Group III ATC Magic Night Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday, but the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace trained filly Steel City (2f Merchant Navy x Pittsburgh Flyer, by Street Cry) justified the faith of punters when scoring a resounding victory as favourite.

Second at her first two starts behind Red Resistance at Randwick and then to Learning to Fly (Justify) in the Group III ATC Widden Stakes, Steel City was seen as desperately unlucky when finishing midfield and untested in the Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes.

Connections elected to take luck out of the equation on Saturday with Steel City cruising straight to the lead for Regan Bayliss and powering clear to win by three lengths running half a second quicker than Pago Pago Stakes winner Shinzo.

“I was hoping that would happen last start (Blue Diamond) as were a lot of people, but that’s racing,” said Ciaron Maher.

The Golden Slipper next Saturday looms as a likely next target for Steel City, who has already won over $170,000 in prizemoney.

A $700,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Coolmore draft for Ciaron Maher Bloodstock/Best Bloodstock, Steel City was bred by Go Bloodstock and is the most expensive yearling by Merchant Navyever sold and becomes his first stakes-winner.

She is bred to be good as a half-sister to dual Group I winning sprinter September Run and is the third winner from Group III winning Street Cry mare Pittsburgh Flyer.