Coolmore Stud shuttler Footstepsinthesand sired his second winner on Wednesday when Steinbeck saluted in the Pat Dunlea Memorial Race at Naas.

Steinbeck (2c Footstepsinthesand – Castara Beach by Danehill) is the most expensive yearling sold at auction so far by his sire after making 250,000gns at the 2008 Tattersalls Sale last October.  He is a half-brother to stakes-placed Varenka and is out of a sister to Group 3 winner Hill Hopper, herself the dam of top-class miler Nannina.

The reports out of Ballydoyle about Steinbeck rang true when he clearly looked the best in the paddock at Naas according to Racing Post UK.  When he quickened at the furlong, everything else was in trouble and he only had to be nursed home.  It was clearly a performance of some quality from a horse that can only improve.

He defeated even-money favourite Gold Bubbles, who was coming off a Leopardstown win on debut, by two-and-a-half lengths.

Footstepsinthesand is a son of Giant’s Causeway and he was represented by his first winner when Walkingonthemoon scored at Newbury on April 17.  Both his winners are out of Danehill mares.

Footstepsinthesand was an unbeaten winner of the G1 English 2000 Guineas and his two southern crops went under the hammer at the 2008 and 2009 majors.  His first crop averaged $25,000 and his second just $15,700 this year.  To date, Footstepsinthesand has had four starters from his initial crop.