Picky a Stayer on the Rise - 29th July 2025
Tuesday, 29 Jul 2025
PICTURE: Dean Yendall and Picky winning the 2400m BM64 Handicap at Swan Hill.
Promising and progressive four-year-old gelding Take A Pick made the road trip to Swan Hill on Tuesday the 29th of July 2025 to take on the Victorians in the staying event of the day, a BM64 over the 2400m trip on a Heavy-9 deck. The long trek from SA proved fruitful for the STR Team, as the son of Lucas Cranach showcased his staying prowess winning by a modest four lengths under the guidance of veteran hoop Dean Yendall.
Stephen Theodore commented to Racing.com post-race that "we come here with a mission, as I said the unknown was the wet track but he's staying ability, he'll just go all day". Tactics were interesting early in the event, with Picky finding the front when he's competitors were hesitant to lead, Stephen remarked "I did say to Dean be creative if you had to, if it wasn't run to suit don't bottle him up and make it messy, just get him into his rhythm, get him into a breathing regime, and just let him go".
On post-race comments that Picky could end up in an Adelaide Cup one day, Stephen advised "it's about getting there rating right, you know he could even find himself down in a Tassie Cup, you know the trip away will do him the world of good".
In reference to the gratitude STR has for Fiteni Thoroughbreds sending horses to the stable like Picky, Stephen remarked he's a "very green bugger, and as I say he's still learning his craft and he's got blinkers to make him go and he's got a Norton bit to make him slow down, so one day he'll have no gear on and he'll be the furnished product".
The furnished product in making was the fan of the favourite backers at Swan Hill, with the short-priced commodity saluting at the odds of $2.60SP, with Stephen remarking "we got pizza money now", making the trip back to Murray Bridge even more fulfilling.
The Swan Hill victory takes the lightly raced gelding's career wins to three and options aplenty over staying trips in races to come with fingers crossed that STR and Fiteni Thoroughbreds could be competing in feature staying races in the months to come.
Promising and progressive four-year-old gelding Take A Pick made the road trip to Swan Hill on Tuesday the 29th of July 2025 to take on the Victorians in the staying event of the day, a BM64 over the 2400m trip on a Heavy-9 deck. The long trek from SA proved fruitful for the STR Team, as the son of Lucas Cranach showcased his staying prowess winning by a modest four lengths under the guidance of veteran hoop Dean Yendall.
Stephen Theodore commented to Racing.com post-race that "we come here with a mission, as I said the unknown was the wet track but he's staying ability, he'll just go all day". Tactics were interesting early in the event, with Picky finding the front when he's competitors were hesitant to lead, Stephen remarked "I did say to Dean be creative if you had to, if it wasn't run to suit don't bottle him up and make it messy, just get him into his rhythm, get him into a breathing regime, and just let him go".
On post-race comments that Picky could end up in an Adelaide Cup one day, Stephen advised "it's about getting there rating right, you know he could even find himself down in a Tassie Cup, you know the trip away will do him the world of good".
In reference to the gratitude STR has for Fiteni Thoroughbreds sending horses to the stable like Picky, Stephen remarked he's a "very green bugger, and as I say he's still learning his craft and he's got blinkers to make him go and he's got a Norton bit to make him slow down, so one day he'll have no gear on and he'll be the furnished product".
The furnished product in making was the fan of the favourite backers at Swan Hill, with the short-priced commodity saluting at the odds of $2.60SP, with Stephen remarking "we got pizza money now", making the trip back to Murray Bridge even more fulfilling.
The Swan Hill victory takes the lightly raced gelding's career wins to three and options aplenty over staying trips in races to come with fingers crossed that STR and Fiteni Thoroughbreds could be competing in feature staying races in the months to come.
