The saying goes that weight will stop a train, but it hasn’t been able to stop Stern Idol who will chase a fourth jumps victory for the year at Sandown.
Stern Idol heads to the Crisp Steeplechase (4200m) on Sunday where he will be joined by his Ciaron Maher-trained stablemate Rockstar Ronnie.
The Crisp Steeplechase is expected to be Stern Idol’s Grand Final for the year after being unbeaten in his three previous jumps races.
Stern Idol scored at Pakenham on April 14, took out the feature Brierly Steeplechase at Warrnambool during the May Carnival and then at his most recent start in the Mosstrooper Steeplechase at Pakenham on July 21.
The Maher stable took advantage of the set-weights and penalties nature of the Mosstrooper at Stern Idol’s latest outing when he strolled home to a 14-length victory.
The Crisp Steeplechase will also be run at set-weights and penalties and is a race Stern Idol won by 25 lengths last year.
The only times Stern Idol has been beaten in a steeplechase race was when retired from the action in both the Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool and the Grand National Steeplechase at Ballarat last year.
Stern Idol did not contest the Grand Annual this year and is unlikely to run in the Grand National where he will likely get too much weight.
Jack Turnbull, assistant trainer for the Maher stable, said Sunday’s race was likely to be Stern Idol’s final jumps race for the season.
“Then it will be up to what Ciaron wants to do next year,” Turnbull said.
“There is really only three or four races where we can place him without weighing him down with too much weight.
“I know he’s a big horse, but weight can slow them down.”
Maher had a taste of international jumps racing with Big Blue competing at the Cheltenham Festival in the UK in 2020 while Stern Idol could head to Japan if a decision was made to head overseas with the jumper.
The Nakayama Grand Jump in April could be on the agenda, a race Eric Musgrove won three times with Karasi and John Wheeler took out with St Steven.
“That would be Ciaron’s call and I’m sure as a collective the stable and ownership group would be intrigued in doing so,” Turnbull said.
“Logistically, how that would work, I’m not sure.”