Wimmera cult hero Steparty has returned to the winner’s circle with a determined victory in the listed weight-for-age Thomas Lyons Stakes at Hobart last Sunday. 
Paul Preusker’s five-year-old appeared strung up in traffic on the home bend in the 1400-metre feature, before jockey John Allen forced his way clear on straightening and set out after the frontrunners in the short run home. 
The gelded son of Artie Schiller pinned his ears back and surged in the closing stages, taking the lead inside the 100-metre mark and claiming an overdue sixth career victory as the $2.70 favourite. 
Steparty was unbeaten in his first five appearances at the races but hadn’t greeted the judge since edging out Southport Tycoon in a thrilling Caulfield Guineas Prelude in September 2023. 
He’s been in the placings 10 times since — three times at Group 1 level — and his connections will be hoping their galloper takes plenty of confidence from Sunday’s win. 
Preusker’s stable star will remain on the Apple Isle to take on the 1600-metre weight-for-age Hellova Street Stakes on Laucneston Cup day, February 25.
Danielle doubles up
Kyneton trainer Danielle Chapman snapped up training honours at Ararat on Sunday, a winning double book-ending the seven-race program. 
Four-year-old galloper Snappy Beau ($3.50) produced one of the better wins on the day, running home hard to take the opening event under jockey Jason Maskiell. 
The gelded son of Brazen Beau was slowly away and turned for home still many lengths from leader Una Gentle ($3.10), who had set a solid tempo throughout. 
But as that galloper began to tire, Snappy Beau was hitting top gear. He powered to the front late, winning relatively comfortably on the line in a time faster than the 0-56 handicap over the same trip later in the day. 
That 0-56 race would provide the second leg of Chapman’s double, the final event of the day taken out by her six-year-old galloper Snappy Tycoon ($2.50 favourite). 
Maskiell, completing a double of his own, gave the Written Tycoon gelding an excellent ride from gate 13, finding a trail behind the leading pair before taking over in the home straight and winning eased down by three lengths in an easy watch for backers. 
It was the fifth win for Chapman’s gelding, his first since saluting at the same track in March last year.
Black-bookers
We’ve got two runners to follow from Ararat, starting with Archie Alexander’s four-year-old Pick Wisely, who made many lengths in the home straight behind an all-the-way leader in the 1300-metre maiden. 
The Vino Rosso gelding has been costly for punters in the past, three times a beaten favourite in his seven starts to date, but it’s hard to knock his first-up performance on Sunday and he warrants respect out in trip next time out.
The other is Henry Dwyer’s mare Zuleika, who recorded the biggest win of the day with a 4½-length victory in the 1600-metre maiden event. 
The three-year-old daughter of North Pacific made ground in a good form race at Wangaratta first up before relishing a rise in trip on Sunday,  jockey Jack Hill sitting up for the photo a long way from home.