Golden Slipper-winning trainer Rick Hore-Lacy has described Sepoy as the best two-year-old in more than 30 years.
He said the unbeaten Peter Snowden-trained colt was comparable to Luskin Star who won the 1977 Slipper by a record seven lengths and superior to his own two-year-old stars, 1990 Golden Slipper winner Canny Lad and 1999 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Redoute’s Choice.
“I can’t remember a better two-year-old,” Hore-Lacy said.
Sepoy - Photo by Steve Hart
“He (Sepoy) just wins with such ridiculous ease.”
“If you watch the replay in the Blue Diamond his ears are going backwards and forwards in the last 100 metres. He is just out for a stroll.
“Redoute’s Choice was a pretty good horse and won the Blue Diamond in 1:8.7 but this horse won the Blue Diamond by about four lengths eased down in 1:8.55. He did it on his ear.”
Redoute’s Choice was a short-priced favourite to win the Slipper but was scratched hours before the race because of a serious bout of travel sickness.
Hore-Lacy said Canny Lad, who four-time Golden Slipper-winning jockey Shane Dye rates as the best two-year-old he has ridden, would have been no match for Sepoy.
“I reckon if you lined this one (Sepoy) and Canny Lad up over 1200 metres I would want to be on this one, and that’s a pretty big wrap,” Hore-Lacy said.
In fact Hore-Lacy is so impressed that he has had a good bet on Sepoy to win the Slipper.
“I wouldn’t mind having him in my barn,” Hore-Lacy said.
Sepoy has raced four times for wins in the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (by a length), Blue Diamond Preview (3-1/2 lengths), Blue Diamond Prelude (3-1/2 lengths) and Blue Diamond Stakes (4-1/4 lengths).
Sepoy has been freshened for his return in Saturday’s Group Two Todman Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill and success would crunch his $2 TAB Sportsbet quote for the Golden Slipper on April 2.
“I think we can probably say he is the best two-year-old since Luskin Star,” Hore-Lacy said.
Luskin Star was only beaten once in nine starts as a two-year-old.
At his race debut he won the AJC Breeders Stakes (1000m) by 12 lengths and the STC Silver Slipper Stakes (900m) by nearly five lengths at his second start.
Subsequent Oakleigh Plate winner Mistress Anne beat him less than a length in Newcastle’s Northern Slipper Stakes (1200m) but he won his next four starts in the Todman Slipper Trial (1200m), Golden Slipper (1200m) in race record time, AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) in course record time and Champagne Stakes (1600m) by a total of 19-1/2 lengths.
He also won the QTC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) and QTC Marlboro (TJ Smith) Stakes (1600m) in course record time.
He was retired to stud after his three-year-old season with 13 wins and three seconds from 17 starts.
AAP TURF
