A very competitive field lined up for Saturday’s Group III Hawkesbury Crown at Rosehill where punters threw their support behind the brilliant In Her Time to go out on a high note, but down the outside came the Sepoy mare Sweet Scandal to spoil the party.
Coming off a last of 14 in the Group II Emancipation Stakes at Rosehill on March 28, Sweet Scandal came from well back in the field under Glen Boss to deny the Inglis Chairman’s Sale bound In Her Time a seventh stakes triumph. 
Feeling her 60kg impost in the last 50 metres, In Her Time (Time Thief) went down fighting by a neck with Dyslexic (Foxwedge) a long-head back in third.
Sweet Scandal rang up a sequence of three consecutive Group III placings in Melbourne last spring so a black-type victory was not out of turn.
It was a first stakes success for the Chris Waller-trained daughter of Sepoy who has been plagued by wide barriers and once again drew widest of all.
"She has been dying to win a race, she has just been one of those horses unlucky with draws and was unlucky again today," Boss said.
"But she trialled up really well on Monday. I got the opportunity to ride her in a trial and I was just begging to be on her. She deserved that win."
A $230,000 purchase by Laurel Oak Bloodstock out of the Widden Stud draft at the 2016 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Sweet Scandal advances her record to 7 wins, 3 seconds and 2 thirds from 22 starts with earnings of $486,480.
A half-sister to the stakes-placed, $592,000 earner, Sir Bacchus (Sebring), Sweet Scandal is one of three winners from as many to race out of the very talented Encosta de Lago mare Bacchanal Woman.
Purchased by Laurel Oak for $80,000 out of the Blue Gum Farm draft at the 2005 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Bacchanal Woman was a nine-time winner from 39 starts while banking $319,190. Her highlight came in the Listed National Sprint at Canberra.
Widden Stud consigned Bacchanal Woman to the 2015 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale where she was purchased by Goldin Farms for $340,000 when carrying Sweet Scandal’s 4-time winning sister Bayou.
Bacchanal Woman yearling colt by Akeed Mofeed (GB) was purchased by Graebar Park for $80,000 out of the Goldin Farms draft at the Adelaide Magic Millions.
After foaling a Merchant Navy filly last spring, Bacchanal Woman was again covered by Akeed Mofeed (GB).
Sweet Scandal becomes the 16th stakes-winner for Darley Stud’s champion Sepoy.
While he may not have lived up to expectations, Sepoy represents excellent value at his 2020 fee of $7,700 at Darley’s Northwood Park, Victoria.
