Darley colt Sepoy is the horse to beat in the $1 million Blue Diamond Stakes after easily accounting for his rivals in the colts and geldings Prelude at Caulfield.The adaptable son of Elusive Quality maintained his unbeaten record in three starts in the Group Three 1100m race but won't be eligible for a $1 million bonus should he go on and win the Blue Diamond (1200m) on February 26.The bonus, offered for the first time by the race's sponsor Patinack Farm, is available to the two-year-old who ca

Darley colt Sepoy is the horse to beat in the $1 million Blue Diamond Stakes after easily accounting for his rivals in the colts and geldings Prelude at Caulfield.

The adaptable son of Elusive Quality maintained his unbeaten record in three starts in the Group Three 1100m race but won't be eligible for a $1 million bonus should he go on and win the Blue Diamond (1200m) on February 26.

The bonus, offered for the first time by the race's sponsor Patinack Farm, is available to the two-year-old who can win a Preview, a Prelude and the Blue Diamond.

However there is a clause in the fine print which states that each of the races must have 12 runners and there were only nine starters in Sepoy's Preview win on January 26.

That leaves only the Peter Moody-trained filly One Last Dance still eligible for the bonus after she added Saturday's fillies Prelude to last month's Preview victory.

"We've got to get the other win first, but it doesn't matter. A Group One is better to win than a million-dollar bonus at the end of the day anyway," said Paul Snowden, Melbourne stable foreman for his father Peter Snowden who prepares Sepoy.

Sent out $1.40 favourite, Sepoy sat outside the leader Huegill ($15) and powered away in the straight to score by 3-1/2 lengths from Running Tall ($14) with Huegill a length away third.

"He was tradesmanlike again and I think he'll be better with a sit. He can relax a lot better, certainly his turn of foot will be much stronger," Snowden said.

"He's been trained to run in the three legs and we certainly left a little bit up our sleeve for Grand Final day."

Winning jockey Mark Zahra is confident Sepoy can give him his first Blue Diamond saying the colt did the job "effortlessly" with his explosive turn of foot.

"I lobbed outside the leader without as much as a squeeze. He did get a tad lost on the bend today but once I balanced up and he saw the others coming he put paid to them really quick," he said.

"He's just a bombproof horse. If there's no speed you can be there with cover, he'll relax and show the same turn of foot."

Moody agreed that Sepoy was the horse to beat in the Blue Diamond but hasn't conceded with One Last Dance or stablemate Hallowell Belle who had a chequered run before finishing third.

One Last Dance ($3.30 fav), a daughter of Encosta De Lago, was tardily away for rider Luke Nolen and settled back but accelerated brilliantly in the straight to win comfortably although getting in towards the running rail.

She had three-quarters of a length to spare over the Snowden-trained Glissade ($6) with Hallowell Belle ($5) the same margin away third.

"The colt (Sepoy) looks outstanding, he's the one to beat, but we've run only marginally slower again and God give us a barrier come Blue Diamond day, that's all we ask for," Moody said.

"Hallowell Belle had absolutely no luck, she arguably could have nearly won the race, but whether she gains a start ...

"At this stage the girls lead our charge."