Trainer Cliff Brown knows Sepals faces a stern test as the gelding chases a maiden Group 1 win at Caulfield this Saturday.
Brown, who built a strong record in Australia before spending 12 successful years in Singapore, returned to Melbourne in 2021 and went close to top-level success when The Inferno finished second in that year’s Manikato Stakes. Now he saddles Sepals for the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m).
Lightly raced, Sepals has six starts for a Group 2 victory and a fourth in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m), but Saturday represents a step up against battle-hardened opposition.
Brown had initially targeted the Group 2 P B Lawrence Stakes (1400m) first-up but Sepals was scratched after barrier issues. Instead, he resumed in a benchmark race on August 30 where he bolted in by 4-½ lengths, prompting Craig Williams to lock in the ride for Saturday.
“He looks well and we’re hopeful,” Brown said.
“The 1400-metre start at Caulfield is tricky enough, let alone jumping from the near outside gate.
“It isn’t perfect, and it will be dependent on how the track is playing as well. He was impressive the other day, but it was a benchmark race, and we have to now go several levels higher.
“Angel Capital did it in a Group race and was just as impressive against better opposition.”
Brown noted Sepals has matured physically and mentally since his three-year-old season, but conceded Saturday would provide the clearest indication of his standing among stronger rivals.
“He didn’t grow a lot, but he certainly thickened and strengthened and mentally he knows what it’s about now, so on Saturday we will find out a lot of things,” Brown said.
“But the barrier is a concern, and we must be mindful of a few factors of how the race is run, where he settles and how he runs himself.”
Punters interested in Sepals’ bid in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes can secure odds through Australia’s best betting sites.