Dubai bound Sepoy and Melbourne Cup winner Americain both worked impressively in special track gallops at Seymour today.
Trainer Peter Snowden is preparing Sepoy first up for the Group 1 $400,000 Sportingbet Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield next week on his way to Dubai to contest the $US2 million Golden Shaheen (1200m) at Meydan on World Cup night.
Stable rider Kerrin McEvoy let Sepoy work off from 1200m and then allowed the three year old to quicken from the 400m before sprinting down the straight.
Local clocker Daryl Sherer was on hand at the Seymour races and timed Sepoy to run 33.70s for his final 600m.
Melbourne foreman for Darley Paul Snowden was pleased with the work and said he did what they came to do.
“He came here to have a good hit-out and he did that,” Paul Snowden said.
“We had it mind to come and do this a fortnight ago. It was a fantastic surface to work him on.
“He had a really good blow after the work but he always does. We are very happy with him.”
Sepoy is on track to resume next week and is ready to clash with last start Caulfield winner Bel Sprinter.
Trainer David Hayes was equally impressed with the work of Americain in his build up for his return to racing.
The Melbourne Cup winner worked with German bred stayer Budai and clocked 34.8 for the last 600m of their work.
The seven year old stallion was very keen in his gallop and continued to work for several hundred meters past the finish line.
“I’m very happy,” Hayes said. “He wasn’t out to run time. What I liked about the work was how long it took to pull him up.
“He wanted to do more so I know the 2000 (metres in the Australian Cup) won’t worry him for sure.”
Americain hasn’t raced since winning the Group 2 $350,000 Zipping Classic at Betfair Park Sandown and Hayes has just over three weeks to prepare Americain for the Group 1 $1m Dubai Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 10.
Hayes says he still has some work to do to keep Americain fresh enough to be competitive in the Australian Cup and fit enough to be able to run the 2000m.
“It’s a juggling act having him fresh enough so he can explode and to have him fit enough,” Hayes said.
The high class international stayer has only ever won over a distance shorter than 2400m on one occasion from his eleven wins and that was over 1400m at Chantilly in France in his two year old days.
