Horse Racing

Peter Snowden’s ace colt Sepoy has cemented their favouritism for the 2011 Caulfield Sprint this Saturday after coming up trumps with the inside running from barrier one.

Running as Caulfield Cup Day Race 5 at 2:00pm (EDT), the $200,000 Group 2 Caulfield Sprint (1100m) this year attracted a final field of 11 sprinters with superstar Sepoy set to jump odds-on favourite in the Luxbet markets.

Sepoy has drawn barrier one for the 2011 Caulfield Sprint on Saturday

Winner of the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) in their first start against older company at Moonee Valley on September 30, Elusive Quality three-year-old Sepoy will seek their fifth consecutive race victory on Saturday and their fourth at elite level.

The first two-year-old in 22 years to claim the Blue Diamond Stakes – Golden Slipper double last season, Sepoy will be very hard to beat in the Caulfield Cup on Saturday as they meet five of their rivals better in the weights with 55.5kg.

Top-weight of the 2011 Caulfield Sprint field on 58kg is the Robert Heathcote-trained Queensland raider Buffering.

Drawn ideally in barrier four with Brisbane-based hoop Damian Browne engaged for the ride, four-year-old Mossman gelding Buffering won the Group 3 Mitty’s McEwen Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on September 10 before their last-start fourth in the Manikato Stakes.

It was a thrilling duel down the straight between Buffering and Sepoy in the Manikato, Heathcote’s runner matching the eventual winner stride from stride before getting left behind as Snowden’s star pulled out their blistering late burst.

While Heathcote remains hopeful that Buffering will be able to bring some stiff competition to Sepoy in the Caulfield Stakes on Saturday, he knows that with the weights situation it will be a tough ask.

“I’m not over the moon about the weights,” Heathcote said.

“It’s a handicap and Sepoy has a rating of 117 to Buffering’s 109 which is eight points, yet we’re giving away weight to him.

“The handicapper says it’s because of the weight-for-age scale, but it’s still a handicap and Sepoy is thrown in at the weights.

“I just don’t understand it, how can Sepoy get in with only 55.5 kilograms in a handicap race when he’s own nearly $3.5 million and three Group Ones?”

The next highest-rated Caulfield Sprint acceptors behind Sepoy and Buffering are the Clarry Conners-trained Decision Time, David Hayes’ Eagle Falls seeking their first win since the Group 1Oakleigh Plate over the Caulfield Sprint track and distance back in February, and the Wendy Roche-trained eight-year-old Here De Angels.

Meanwhile, three smart mares are also set to take their spot in the Caulfield Stakes field with the Peter Moody-trained duo of Mid Summer Music (53.5kg) and Curtana (53kg), and Gary Portelli’s gallant grey six-year-old Platinum Skye (53kg) who was far from disgraced when six and a half lengths away fourth to Black Caviar in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield last Saturday.

Oamaru Force six-year-old Mid Summer Music has been in great form recently winning back-to-back Group 3 features at Caulfield over 1200 metres before her last-start second to Pinker Pinker in the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on September 3.

Whether the 1100 metres will be a little short for her liking is the question, but she has won over the distance at Caulfield when first-up back in May.

Below is the complete 2011 Perri Cutten Caulfield Sprint final field, barriers, weights and jockeys.

Bookmark us here at Races.com.au to view the exclusive Caulfield Sprint 2011 form guide analysis and betting tips, to be published later in the week.

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2011 Caulfield Sprint Final Field & Barrier Draw