While Race 8 – the 2011 Caulfield Cup – is the marquee race at Melbourne’s 10-event Caulfield Cup Day programme today, superstar colt Sepoy is responsible for drawing many of the punters and spectators to the Caulfield track as they get ready to jump at a Black Caviar-short price in the $200,000 Group 2 Caulfield Sprint(1100m).
Sepoy is odds-on favourite to win the Caulfield Sprint today
Due to run as Caulfield Race 5 at 2:00pm (EDT) this afternoon, the Caulfield Sprint 2011 field features only eight remaining runners after the early scratchings of three horses.
Caulfield Race 5 – Caulfield Sprint Scratchings:
- #2 Decision Time (5)
- #3 Eagle Falls (6)
- #4 Here De Angels (8)
With only seven rivals to defeat, the Peter Snowden-trained champion Sepoy has dramatically firmed in the Caulfield Sprint markets at Luxbet.
After opening at an already short price of $1.30, with the scratchings they are into a nearly unbackable price of $1.23 at Luxbet.
Drawn on the rails, ideally weighted with 55.5kg, boasting an impressive win rate of 88.89%, and unbeaten at both the track and distance, it is easy to see why Sepoy is so short in the markets.
Odds on all the other Caulfield Sprint runners have drifted out, Sepoy the only one they want and the only one they are backing.
Luxbet’s chief bookmaker Paul Vincent has reported on the big money bets coming in for the last-start Manikato Stakes winner, including one massive punt of $40,000 at $1.30.
TAB Sportsbet’s Greg McDonald also testified to the firming market on Sepoy and pointed out that from that draw against that field he looked about as hard to beat as the to-date undefeated glamour mare Black Caviar.
“There are less horses to worry about in the race and less chance of him suffering interference at the start or something like that,” McDonald said.
“You look at the others in the race and you wonder how even the second picks can beat him.
“He will probably stay solid in betting but I wouldn’t think he’d be shorter than$1.20.
“He is getting towards Black Caviar odds but he’s own eight from nine starts and is probably entitled to be sort of mentioned in the same breath as her.”
There looks to be little in the way of Elusive Quality colt Sepoy scoring his ninth career win from 10 starts and adding to his already incredible earnings that sit at over $3.4 million.
The closest-priced rivals to Sepoy in the markets today are Peter Moody’s consistent mare Mid Summer Music ($10 Luxbet), the fellow Moody-trained Curtana ($15 Luxbet) and the Robert Heathcote-trained Queensland sprinter Buffering ($16 Luxbet).
Jockey Kerrin McEvoy, who has been aboard Sepoy for their past six starts, has declared the Caulfield Sprint favourite as being at 100 per cent fitness.
“He feels perfect. He’s spot on. He’s in good shape,” McEvoy said with ease.
The Caulfield Sprint is expected to be run at a fast pace today with the track in excellent condition an known forward-running speedsters Buffering, coming off a fourth in the Manikato to Sepoy, and Platinum Skye ($101 Luxbet), who was far from disgraced with fourth to Black Caviar last-start in the Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield), Sepoy’s inside draw will work nicely in their favour.
Sepoy should easily be able to carry the 55.5kg to victory today, the three-year-old having won with 58kg on their back two starts back in the Danehill Stakes at Flemington and 58.5kg before that in the Vain Stakes, and if they do they will set a weight-carrying record for his age.
The only three-year-old Caulfield Sprint winners in history were Campaign who carried 52.5kg to victory in 1985 and Jet Spur with 52kg on their back in 2005.
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2011 Caulfield Sprint Betting Odds Update
Caulfield Race 5 – 15/10/2011
| No. | Horse (Barrier) | Opening Odds | Current Fixed Win* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buffering (4) | 10.00 | 16.00 Luxbet |
| 2 | Decsiont Time (5) | - | - |
| 3 | Eagle Falls (6) | - | - |
| 4 | Here De Angels (8) | - | - |
| 5 | Grand Duels (7) | 41.00 | 51.00 Luxbet |
| 6 | Sepoy (1) | 1.30 | 1.23 Luxbet |
| 7 | Perturbo (8) | 21.00 | 31.00 Luxbet |
| 8 | Mid Summer Music (5) | 10.00 | 10.00 Luxbet |
| 9 | Curtana (2) | 15.00 | 15.00 Luxbet |
| 10 | Basil Da Man (3) | 19.00 | 26.00 Luxbet |
| 11 | Platinum Skye (6) | 81.00 | 101.00 Luxbet |
*Fixed Win Odds provided by Luxbet and correct at time of publication
