Kerrin McEvoy couldn't be happier with unbeaten colt Sepoy going into Saturday's $1 million Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield.The colt drew ideally in barrier five after which McEvoy said he had been hoping for a draw of anywhere from barrier two to seven for the odds-on favourite in the 14-horse field for Victoria's most prestigious juvenile event.The son of Elusive Quality is poised to become the first two-year-old since Bel Esprit in 2002 to make a clean sweep of the Blue Diamond series having
Kerrin McEvoy couldn't be happier with unbeaten colt Sepoy going into Saturday's $1 million Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield.
The colt drew ideally in barrier five after which McEvoy said he had been hoping for a draw of anywhere from barrier two to seven for the odds-on favourite in the 14-horse field for Victoria's most prestigious juvenile event.
The son of Elusive Quality is poised to become the first two-year-old since Bel Esprit in 2002 to make a clean sweep of the Blue Diamond series having won the Preview (1000m) and Prelude (1100m).
Sepoy has been ridden by Mark Zahra in his three race starts to date but McEvoy, the number one rider in Australia for owner Sheikh Mohammed, takes over the reins on Saturday.
McEvoy has been riding the colt in trackwork and rates him as potentially one of the best he's ridden.
"I was really happy with him this morning," McEvoy, who won the 2001 Blue Diamond aboard the filly True Jewels, said on Tuesday.
"He's a nice two-year-old and from the first day I sat on him I thought he had a great racing attitude.
"I haven't ridden him on race day yet but he just switches off and then finishes off his work really well.
"He's always shown ability and has thickened out this preparation."
McEvoy said if anything Sepoy would be even fitter to tackle Saturday's 1200m test, a distance at which he hasn't yet been tried, being third-up from a spell.
Trainer Peter Snowden didn't accept with Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude runner-up Glissade or last Saturday's impressive Sydney winner Helmet and is relying on Sepoy, the $1.65 favourite with TAB Sportsbet, to give him his first winner in the race.
The Snowden stable saddled up Rarefied (seventh in 2009) and Secession (seventh in 2010) in the past two years.
Three trainers have dual runners in the Group One feature including Peter Moody, who won the race in 2009 with Reward For Effort.
Moody will be represented by the fillies Hallowell Belle, to be ridden by Craig Williams, and Metonymy, to be handled by Luke Nolen.
Hallowell Belle held her place as second pick in the betting at $9 after drawing nicely in barrier four while Metonymy drew gate six and is at $26.
Lee Freedman, after his fourth Blue Diamond, has late entry Atomic and Masthead engaged, while Robbie Laing has the colt Grand Britannia and filly Spectrolite.
Atomic, drawn nicely in barrier two, is third pick in the betting at $12 while Masthead has drifted to $31 after coming up with gate 13.
Freedman likes Atomic and said the Commands colt worked very well on Monday but rated Sepoy as the horse to beat with him having won twice at Caulfield whereas his pair is yet to race there.