Winter Stakes next for O'Shea's filly

By Grant Stockwell

BRISBANE, June 4 AAP - Topline Sydney filly Steps In Time will attempt to win a Group One race at just her fifth start after her dominant victory at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Steps In Time gave her more experienced rivals a galloping lesson in the $125,000 Listed Daybreak Lover (1400m) and winning trainer John O'Shea immediately pencilled in the Group One Winter Stakes (1400m) on June 25.

Confidently ridden by Corey Brown, Steps In Time ($14) exploded out of the barriers and led throughout to beat Havatryst ($26) by a half-neck with Benny's Buttons ($11) a short half-head away third.

O'Shea praised Brown's ride and said the leading Sydney rider followed the pre-race instructions to the letter.

"That's the way to ride her - she likes to gallop and I'm told him 'Don't worry about trying to get into a spot, just let her roll' and it was a brilliant ride," O'Shea said.

"That was only her fourth career start and to beat the older horses like that was pretty impressive.

"I'll see how she pulls up but the Winter Stakes back here in three weeks looks pretty appealing right now."

The win capped a mixed day for Brown who narrowly escaped serious injury earlier when he was dislodged in the barriers from Free Wheeling at the start of the Sires' Produce Stakes.

Race favourite Ready To Rip ($5) finished a fast-finishing fourth after settling well back and he looks perfectly suited to the Queensland Guineas over 1600m next Saturday.

Benny's Buttons' rider Chris Munce had a hard-luck story for connections after the race and thought the horse should have won.

"It was a super run," he said.

"The horse I was following kept coming back on me when I was trying to go forward.

"I couldn't get a crack at them until it was too late and he probably should have won the race."