Unbeaten colt Sepoy has thrashed his rivals in the $1 million Blue Diamond Stakes to give Sheikh Mohammed's Darley operation its most important two-year-old success in Australia so far.The colt was dominant in the betting ring, firming from $1.50 to $1.40 favouritism, and was just as dominant in the race.After sitting outside the speedy race leader Avenay and getting his head up when racing keenly in the early stages Sepoy, ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, accelerated away in the straight to score by 4-
Unbeaten colt Sepoy has thrashed his rivals in the $1 million Blue Diamond Stakes to give Sheikh Mohammed's Darley operation its most important two-year-old success in Australia so far.
The colt was dominant in the betting ring, firming from $1.50 to $1.40 favouritism, and was just as dominant in the race.
After sitting outside the speedy race leader Avenay and getting his head up when racing keenly in the early stages Sepoy, ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, accelerated away in the straight to score by 4-1/4 lengths from Hallowell Belle ($13).
Masthead ($51) ran home well to be a head back third.
"This would be up there with all our Group One wins all around the world," Darley Australia general manager Henry Plumptre said.
"He's pretty special. He's very, very workmanlike and a complete professional."
Plumptre said he wasn't sure how much Sepoy was now worth as a potential stallion.
"He may have increased his value four-fold or he may be worth half that," he said.
Darley and trainer Peter Snowden won the 2007 AJC Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) with the two-year-old filly Camarilla who, like Sepoy, is by Elusive Quality.
The win was an emotional one for trainer Peter Snowden and his son Paul who is his Melbourne-based assistant trainer.
"I think Paul's the trainer down here, he's done a tremendous job," Snowden said.
"It just proves what we're all about. Racing's important to everyone, but for us and the position we have, we're expected to do this and it's good when it comes off."
Now unbeaten in four starts, Sepoy became the equal shortest-priced winner of a Blue Diamond with Rancher having won the race in 1982.
He emulated Rancher, Midnight Fever (1987) and Bel Esprit (2002) as the only horses to go unbeaten through the Blue Diamond series winning a Preview, a Prelude and the Group One finale.
"He's a good trackworker, but on race day he pulls out more and more. He's really surprised me how good he is," Snowden said of Sepoy who will now be freshened up for the $3.5 million Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on April 2.
"I think the five or six weeks timeframe we have is perfect for him."
"As long as he comes though all right, I haven't spoken to the team about this yet, but that's always been in my mind to go there all being well.
"He'll be back at the farm Monday and he'll have a bit of R and R in the paddocks and on the water-walker and we'll assess him then, but to my eye we've got one more to go."
It was Blue Diamond win number two for McEvoy who scored on the Mike Moroney-trained True Jewels in 2001.
As Sheikh Mohammed's number one rider in Australia the Sydney based McEvoy replaced his friend Mark Zahra who had won three out of three aboard Sepoy.
"He's come here again and blown them away," McEvoy said.
"He's a horse that gets there and you could almost go a stride quicker and he'd still blow them away.
"He's just got that great ability to sit right on the speed and do it easy and then have a really good turn of foot.
"I just want to thank Mark (Zahra) as well. Obviously it's a tough position for him and we're good friends, he's done a top job on this horse and he's a great asset to the team."
McEvoy believes there will be no problem keeping Sepoy together for the Golden Slipper.
"I don't reckon so, because he just does it so easy and does it on his ear and has got that racing attitude that you want," he said.