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Pateman rebounds for Sale steeplechase glory

3 minute read

Steven Pateman rebounded from a hurdle fall at Sale to claim the following race, a steeplechase.

RUNAWAY. Picture: Racing Photos

Jumps jockeys are a tough breed as Steven Pateman can atest. 

Just 40 minutes before winning the E-Cycle Solutions Steeplechase (3280m) at Sale on Wednesday aboard to Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Runaway, Pateman had a fall from Hey Happy at the last jump in the E-Cycle Solutions Hurdle. 

Pateman was quickly to his feet, as was Hey Happy, and brushed himself down, not wanting to miss out on the opportunity of adding another winner to his ever-growing tally. 

"I was fine and if you're fine, you should always get back on," Pateman told racing.com.

"He dropped two-and-a-half kilos from a really good run over hurdles last start, so I thought he would win, and he did." 

Runaway was Pateman's 18th victory from his last 50 rides spread over the past two jumps season. 

In a slogging finish, Runaway ($3.60) scored from Cheners ($12)) with Dewrinkler ($20) in third place. 

Pateman said Wednesday's Heavy 9 conditions were about as wet as Runway likes it. 

"That's probably his limit as to soft ground goes as I'm not that sure he was all that comfortable in it," Pateman said. 

"But he really wanted to be here today. He tried really hard, he jumped really good. 

"He was really long at the second last and we took a bit of a risk there and that is why I shortened it up a bit at the last. 

"That could have been our undoing, but we got away with it. 

"He's got nothing to prove both on the flat and jumps, but I like riding him, that's for sure." 

Before switching to the jumps, Runaway was an accomplished flat performer, winning the 2018 VRC St Leger (2800m), finishing third in the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m), along with winning the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m) that year which awarded the stayer a start in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup in which he finished 19th behind Cross Counter.