Dan Morton celebrates big day as Super Smink wins Lee Steere Stakes over stablemate In Good Order

Dan Morton capped a red-letter day in the Group 2 $300,000 Lee Steere Stakes (1400m), quinella’ing the event with stable star Super Smink and able second-stringer In Good Order.

Like Morton’s earlier Fairetha Stakes winner King Of Light, Super Smink ($2.80f) began from gate one, but jumped alertly and was immediately tracking pacemaker Comfort Me ($8) after a matter of bounds.

This gave her a sizeable and tactical advantage over main danger Western Empire ($2.90), who was forced back to second last from barrier 11.

For the first 800m, Comfort Me stole some cheap sectionals, meaning those at the back of the field had no hope of cutting down the leaders.

As the pacesetter swept into the home straight, Bustler ($31) shifted out under pressure and produced a dream split for Super Smink, with Chris Parnham seizing the opportunity.

Into open air at the 200m, the five-year-old swiftly raced to Comfort Me but found unheralded stable companion In Good Order ($126) a worthy adversary as they scrapped it out over the late stages.

Eventually, class told, with the mare outmuscling her bigger counterpart to score by a half-length.

Morton was suitably impressed by the result, and was particularly pleased when Super Smink was able to sit closer to the speed than her norm.

“She’s the stable favourite, so it means a bit,” he said.

“It’s all tempo-related. If they’re going too quick, then you don’t need to be there (upfront), but they went steady enough that it worked for her today.

“Probably, you don’t need to be there when they’re going quick.”

The daughter of Super One is now a $6 third fancy for her next target, the Group 1 $1.5 million Railway Stakes (1600m) on November 22.

“She’s at a good level of fitness, so it’s just our job to tick every box and be super careful, and probably not sleep much, myself,” Morton said.

“We were aware coming into today that you might gain half a kilo (impost) or something but these races are here to win - they’re worth proper money - and if she’s got a little penalty, so be it.

“She’s going super and we’re looking forward to the Railway.”

The bay has banked more than $1.5 million in prizemoney, kickstarted by her two-year-old season when securing the Magic Millions, Karrakatta Plate and WA Sires’ Produce all under Chris Parnham.

“She’s a magnificent mare now. From what she did early and to still be going at this age, she’s done a tremendous job,” Parnham said.

“She can settle closer as long as we’re not going at a fast speed. Today, we went pretty steady, as I thought we might.

“She jumped well and just landed there, so I would’ve had to strangle her to get any further back.

“She’s a pretty genuine type of mare; she knows where the winning post is.

“She’s the sort of mare that’s capable of winning a Group 1, so fingers crossed she can do it in the Railway.

“I think she’s good enough.”

Along with the Railway, Super Smink is also in commission for the Northerly Stakes ($15) and Gold Rush ($11) two and three weeks subsequent.

“She raced in all three last year and ran placings in the Railway and Gold Rush. She was quite unlucky in the Northerly,” Parnham said.

“You could make a case that she could have won one of them, for sure.

“I think 1400m to a mile is her sweet spot, so I think probably the Railway (is her best winning chance).”