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You might say it was only a Nowra maiden but jockey Quayde Krogh has no doubt I’m A Steel has the potential to back up her impressive debut in the first of Saturday’s TAB Highways (1100m) at Rosehill.
It's a big ask for a three-year-old having just her second start to take on seasoned Highway performers but Quayde Krogh is happy to side with the Barbara Joseph, Paul and Matt Jones stable's decision to wade into a deeper pool.
I'm A Steel's runaway four length win at the last meeting of 2023 earned her market respect, $4.40 with TAB on Thursday, and Krogh said she's had talent from the first time he sat on her back.
"She showed that turn of foot at trackwork a few times leading in,'' he said.
"I do recall a gallop where she really put me into the back seat when she accelerated. And I pulled up with a partner in the gallop and both her and I were like 'wow, this thing could be pretty smart'.
"She did what she did in the trial then backed it up at Nowra."
The debut win was on a heavy track and Krogh is wary that it could have flattered her a little but he points out the filly was just as slick on a good track in barrier trial.
"She was very tractable throughout the run and she showed the same style on the heavy track as she did on the good,'' he said.
"I knew she would run a good race but it took me by surprise how well she finished that race off in the heavy going. If she shows up like that she's going to be very hard to beat.
"Obviously she's giving a fair bit of race experience away to everything else but I really don't think it's going to bother her too much.
"I think she's a pretty smart filly, she's a beautiful little animal and has such a sweet temperament."
Krogh is closing on 300 career wins, 287 at present, and is enjoying a strong season having combined with the Joseph Jones stable a couple of years ago. They've won 51 races together to date.
With some solid form around the current Highway favourite Life's A Party, who was run down by the smart Gallant Star last start, connections of I'm A Steel will get a good guide on where their filly stands.
And Krogh feels the race sets up for her to get every chance.
"I think we drew the more suitable of the two Highways,'' he said.
"They're going to roll along a bit and hopefully that sets up well for her to show that good turn of foot she has.
"With the draw she'll be able to slide across to midfield somewhere then work her way to the outside, I feel once she gets clear running she'll show them something."
The 32-year-old has ridden in both editions of the Big Dance so far for the Joseph Jones team and believes the stable has a likely type in Moruya Cup winner Zouatica.
The emerging galloper earned his eligibility for November's $3 million feature with that impressive win earlier in the week and given he's only had nine starts he still has the rest of the year to develop.
"This horse is going super, the track the other day was a little bit of a concern early on when there wasn't a lot of on pace horses in the placings,'' Krogh said.
"He came out and put in such a bold run out there and put the field to bed at the top of the straight.
"I think he's the type of horse that is going to suit the (Big Dance). He's a big animal and he's going to be able to hold his own against a competitive field."
