Saturday, 15 October 2011:
Trainer Peter Snowden has declared champion three-year-old Sepoy "in the zone" for the Group One
Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington on Derby Day after a dominant win against older horses in the Caulfield Sprint.
Sepoy made it nine wins from 10 starts in Saturday's 1100-metre Group Two feature and controlled the race from start to finish with jockey Kerrin McEvoy likening the effort to a barrier trial for the colt.
Snowden was blown away by the winning time of 1:03.11 but Sepoy could have gone faster as McEvoy didn't push the $1.22 favourite out to the line to win by 1-1/4 lengths from Peter Moody-trained stablemates Curtana ($21) and Mid Summer Music ($12).
"That is an absolutely outstanding time," Snowden said.
"He's a very, very special horse."
"What he's done hasn't been done by very many horses, only champion horses and he's one of them.
"I am pretty hard who I claim is special and this fellow is still learning his trade."
Snowden acknowledged there was a lot of hype about a clash with unbeaten champion Black Caviar but he said Sepoy needed more time to reach her class.
"To me he is 12 months away from looking at a race like that," Snowden said.
"He is getting better. He's learning more and more about what's he's got to do."
Snowden confirmed the
Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) as Sepoy's next assignment.
Black Caviar will try for her 15th win a week later in the Group One Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) at Flemington.
Sepoy is the third three-year-old to win the Caulfield Sprint and carried 55.5kg, three kilos more than Campaign King in 1985.
Jet Spur was the other three-year-old winner with 52kg in 2005.
Snowden said Sepoy had peaked this campaign.
"He is in the zone now and it is my job to keep him there for two more weeks," Snowden said.
McEvoy said Sepoy was a neck slow from the gates but it was not a concern.
"He's not the flashest beginner as we have all seen and if the grey horse (Platinum Skye) was going to cruise across I wanted to be in a spot where I could pop off and that is how it worked out," McEvoy said.
He said Sepoy was fresher than last start when he won the Group One Manikato Stakes but he switched off well.
"He is very professional and just does it all," McEvoy said.
Sepoy coasted to the lead halfway up the straight and while McEvoy could hear Curtana and Mid Summer Music closing he always had them covered.
"Today was like a barrier trial I suppose," McEvoy said.
"I didn't really raise a sweat and neither did he."
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 | | Posted by Dazzler, on 18-10-2011 11:01:01 AM
I hope you meant Black Caviar instead of More Joyous Bluedog1? Sepoy would eat MJ over 1200. ”
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| | Posted by Bluedog1, on 18-10-2011 7:32:43 AM
Did I say more joyous. Lol. Meant Black Caviar. ”
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| | Posted by ratings1, on 17-10-2011 10:55:11 PM
After the weekends results,Moody would have a fair idea of how far BC would beat Sepoy over 1200m anywhere.As good as he is,Sepoy wouldnt get within 4 len.of BC at this stage of their careers. ”
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| | Posted by Whip, on 17-10-2011 9:38:52 PM
I agree completely with Stevez.
But Anonymous, are you a musician because that''s quite a long bow you''ve drawn. According to your ratonal comparison Sepoy is about what.....15L behind Caviar or is it 20L??? That would put him behind......well almost anything to have raced against Caviar. ”
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| | Posted by rodgo, on 17-10-2011 7:46:22 PM
he would be to smart for more joyous.
”
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| | Posted by Bluedog1, on 16-10-2011 4:36:04 PM
Putting Sepoy in against More Joyous now would be like putting Lennox Lewis in against Tyson in his prime. Suicidal.
Love Sepoy but she is once in a 50 year type of horse and his type probably comes around every 20 years or so. at a guess. very unlucky for him to pop up at same time as her.
Wait till shes six, big field, bad barrier for her at Caulfield, not quite ready in her preparation and then pray she gets held up. then sepoy wins.
then again, injury is also a great leveller. ”
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| | Posted by ChrisB, on 16-10-2011 12:04:19 PM
Spot on Stevez, not a contest at the moment, and Snowden has already admitted he wouldn''t beat her (yet). I think Sepoy v Hay List would be close for ranking for second best sprinter in Aust (both champs in their own right without ''freakishness'' of BC) ”
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| | Posted by What the, on 16-10-2011 11:21:24 AM
Connections of buffering must be pleased, trainer sends him out in the Manikato to "serve it up" to Sepoy, hardly riding the horse to best advantage or to his strengths. Flattens him in one run to only get fourth, now this run he looks like he''s had enough. IMO Buffering is a better horse than what he has run, far from Sepoy but deffinitely better, weight or not, not sure what Heathcote was trying to achieve. ”
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| | Posted by Anonymous, on 16-10-2011 11:00:51 AM
I agree with you, stevez. When you think that Sepoy was only a length or two in front of Curtana, who was well-beaten last spring in the Coolmore by Star Witness, who in turn was well-beaten by Black Caviar in the Patinack, the Sepoy form starts to look well below what would be required to beat Black Caviar. ”
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| | Posted by stevez, on 15-10-2011 10:18:39 PM
Sepoy might have had that field covered, but watching him as compared to Black Caviar... no match at the moment I think. Snowden is wise not pitting him against BC just yet. ”
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