Sepoy is a superstar

By David Nagel
CRANBOURNE Turf Club rolled out the red carpet on Monday morning with the appearance of equine superstar, Sepoy.
Australia’s best two-year-old from last season looked magnificent and toyed with a high-class field of thoroughbreds in an 800m trial, stopping the clock in a sizzling 44.90 seconds.
Like Sepoy, Cranbourne have exciting plans for the spring and Monday morning was the perfect prelude for chief executive, Neil Bainbridge.
“It’s a great start to the spring, to have the media turn out in numbers and have arguably Australia’s best racehorse here, is very exciting for the club,” Bainbridge said.
The Cranbourne trials were scheduled perfectly with the Australian Horse of the Year Awards in Melbourne on Sunday evening.
This provided Cranbourne with the unique opportunity to host some of the sport’s biggest names, including Sepoy’s trainer Peter Snowden.
Snowden heads the Australian operation for Sheikh Mohammed’s world leading Darley stables.
“It’s a great thing to have Peter Snowden here, working beside our local trainers and creating a lot of excitement,” Bainbridge said.
Another connection between Sepoy and Cranbourne is night racing. Sepoy starts his spring assault on Friday 30 September, under lights at Moonee Valley in the group 1 Manikato Stakes, while Cranbourne is embarking on its own night racing plans.
On Friday 9 March, 2012, Cranbourne will become Victoria’s second night racing venue – and the significance of such is not lost on Bainbridge.“It’s a significant event in the history of the club. The night racing season operates between October and April, so next year we will have a short satellite series after we start on 9 March,” he said. “The following season, between October 2012 and April 2013, there will be Friday night racing every week in Victoria and that will take place at either Moonee Valley or here. “Among other benefits, it’s an opportunity for people around the area to come and have a great night out.”
Installation of the lighting towers will be completed before Christmas this year. Testing, official trials and jump-outs will take place throughout January and February, before the grand opening on 9 March, 2012.
In the meantime, Bainbridge and his team will stage the running of the $200,000 Cranbourne Cup on Sunday 9 October. With a massive $2 million bonus on offer to win the Cranbourne-Caulfield Cup double, an international flavour might be on the cards.
Neil Bainbridge better keep hold of that red carpet.