Trainer Cliff Brown is planning to press ahead with plans of a Queensland trip with his Group 1 winner Sepals.
Victorious in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield last spring, Sepals was Brown’s first Group 1 since he returned to Australia following a stint in Singapore back in 2021.
Brown has the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 13 as his focus but said if everything is not alright with the four-year-old he would quickly pull up stumps.
The stable may have another Stradbroke contender following the victory of Von Hauke in the Listed Golden Mile (1600m) at Bendigo on Saturday.
After running fourth in the Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington first-up, Brown ventured to Sydney with Sepals who was sent off a heavily backed favourite in the Doncaster Prelude (1500m) at Rosehill on March 28.
Sepals was off his game that day with Brown blaming a hefty impost and a tired Rosehill track that had played its part in the Sydney Carnival, but the gelding was not himself on return to Melbourne.
Brown had been planning a return to Sydney for the Group 1 All-Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 18 but decided instead to give Sepals a brief break in the paddock.
“He had 10 days off and he’s come back in tremendous order,” Brown said.
“He just wasn’t himself, but he seems right now.
“I don’t think he appreciated the track up in Sydney, but just afterwards when we got him home, he just wasn’t himself.
“We know him intimately and he wasn’t right.
“I gave him a jump-out, which was OK, without being great, but then he had the 10 days off and I thought, if he’s OK, we’ll be able to continue on and if he’s not, we’ll go to the paddock.
“At this point he seems good and if he’s right, we’ll head up to Queensland, and he can have a run at the end of the month with the aim of hopefully getting him to the Stradbroke.”
