With a full field of 16 engaged to run this Saturday at Caulfield in the Group I MRC Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes and three of the first four home last year set to run again, there is an air of rematch about this year’s race.
The Sir Rupert Clarke has been a race of many names since its inauguration in 1951 as the Invitation Stakes, which it remained until 1974.
This time-honoured sprint has also been known as the Marlboro Cup, Show Day Cup, Vic Health Cup, the Eat Well Live Well Cup and the Dubai Racing Club Cup - but following the passing of VATC Chairman Sir Rupert Clarke in 2005, it bears his name in tribute.
The race has always been run at Caulfield under handicap conditions over 1400m, and it became a G1 feature in 1979, a year after mighty Manikato scorched to victory.
The inaugural running was taken out by the West Aussie - bred Jovial Lad and what a good galloper he was! After collecting the WATC Guineas / Derby, he crossed the Nullabor like many a good Perthian since, and also added the Toorak Hcp and Memsie Stakes to his eastern states haul.
Manikato's grandsire Matrice won in 1955 and the race had its first back to back winner in 1961-62 in the form of his half brother Anonyme!
Matrice became a champion sire, but Anonyme - of whom great things were doubtless expected - sired a solitary stakes winner and that was the dour stayer Kinloch (VRC Bagot Hcp ), such are the mysteries of horse breeding.
Tauto, by the great old stallion Good Brandy, went back to back in 1970-71. He also collected the 1971 Cox Plate in an outstanding turf career which included two JJ Liston and two Freeway Stakes.
There ensued a long drought before the next dual winner came along in the form of the great Testa Rossa in 1999-200.
This year Sepals will attempt to become the fourth horse on that impressive list, is he good enough?
A number of entires who went on to forge successful careers at stud had this race on their CV - as well as Testa, Exceed And Excel and Encosta De Lago are the standouts.
Yulong's high profile stallion Angel Capital is still looking for his elusive G1 and was unlucky in this race last year when favourite.
A tragedy beaten! the punters cried.
But that was a little unfair to Sepals, who unleashed a huge turn of foot to win. It was also before we realised that if there was a way to get beat, Angel Capital was probably going to be the horse to find it.
Mares had a moment when outsider Kimochi beat Another Wil in 2024, and the all-girl quinella of Magic Time and I Am Me got the chockies the year before.
Sierra Sue was victorious in 2021, but then we have to go back to the champ Response who beat another fine mare No Evidence Needed in 2010 by a long neck.
Canny Lass, Trichelle, Pernod, Rewaaya and Mannerism were all great mares of their day, and in 2026 Lady Shenandoah might be the next to join that Illustrious list.
We know the daughter of Snitzel has all the class in the world, but all of the above bar Mannerism ( equal on 56kg) had less weight than Lady Shen will carry on Saturday.
It's a big ask, but punters have faith in Waller’s mare, and after she drew barrier 1 installed her as favourite.
A cracking field of 16 plus emergencies are headed by the toppie and multiple G1 winner Tom Kitten, who has placed over this course and distance at WFA.
It's going to be a battle royal!
Top Pick: SEPALS
It's a task but I reckon the now 5yo Sepals is up to it, and good enough to win this with just 1.5kg more than he carried when storming into second on a testing track in the Stradbroke Hcp in June.
Sepals ran a mighty fourth when first up in the Newmarket last March - also carrying 56, and found only the champion Autumn Glow better in last year's Golden Eagle. While she beat him comfortably, that was a huge end of prep run.
As a three year old Sepals bolted in the G3 Colin Hayes Stakes at 1400m by three lengths, before a gallant fourth in the G1 Australian Guineas.
I really believe this horse is a little under rated and quite a special talent!
Sepals is the veteran of just 13 starts to date, which have resulted in 5 wins and 2 placings for more than $3.3 million in prizemoney.
He was a modest $80,000 Inglis Classic purchase from the Vinery Stud draft for his trainer Cliff Brown, who races the handsome son of Calyx with a loyal group of owners.
There are few better judges of a youngster than Cliff, who trained G1 winners in Australia before enjoying a long period of success in Singapore. Now based at Mornington, Brown might not preside over a big “name” stable but he is a horseman right up there with the best.
He trained Sepal's dam What's New (by the excellent sire and broodmare sire Casino Prince), and she was a bit of a star - winning two legs of the Singaporean Triple Crown and unlucky not to win the Derby.
What's New was awarded Singapore's Champion 4YO honours, and Sepals is her first foal so she came right out of the blocks with an absolute ripper!
Sepals descends from G1 sprinting mare Good Faith by Mr Prospector's ever reliable Straight Strike.
She produced 8 winners, among them G1 placed Tully Dane, Listed winner Mygoodgrace and Private - who became dam of G2 Sweet Embrace winner Believe Yourself (Sebring).
The dam of Good Faith was Head Of The River by Shirley Heights, a close relative of the great Epsom Oaks winner Bireme.
The taproot mare of this prolific family (11-d) is Felsetta by Felstead - and right from the start, Oaks winning mares were the calling card of this tribe.
One of Felsetta's granddaughters Ark Royal became dam of NZ's legendary broodmare sire Hermes.
Current stars from Sepal's family are the late Savabeel's champion son Savaglee who has commenced service at Mapperley Stud, and his magnificent dual G1 winning full sister Orchestral. Savabeel's fantastic daughter Atishu is another rellie!
Sepals is bred:
Danzig 5m x 5m,5m
Green Desert 4m x4m
Mr Prospector 5m x 5f sex balanced (and sex balanced 6m x 6f, 6m)
Blue Hen Hope 4f x 4m sex balanced
Which brings joy to pedigree nerds - no surprise as he is bred by Greg Perry, who is a master at this!
His sire Calyx had elite speed, and Coolmore's exciting son of Kingman was sadly lost too soon as a result of injury.
The winner of Royal Ascot's time honoured Coventry Stakes at two, Calyx raced only four times.
He was in fact the very first winner for his sire Kingman, who has gone on to a stellar stud career.
The dam of Calyx was the Observatory mare Helleborine, a G3 winning juvenile, who was also second in the Prix Marcel Boussac.
She is dam of Coppice, stakes winning sister to Calyx, and is herself a sister to Sprint Cup winner African Rose - and to Needleleaf, the dam of Godolphin's unbeaten European champion juvenile and Irish 2,000 Guineas hero Native Trail.
They were out of stakes-placed New Orchid, by the Derby hero Quest For Fame, and a half-sister to Dewhurst winner Distant Music.
Calyx wasn't a G1 winner himself, but at the time of his passing he already had G1 placed progeny and multiple G2 winners so breeders had recognised his worth. Calyx had covered more mares than any other sire in Europe in the 2024 season.
Sepals became the first G1 winner for Calyx when he took this race last year - the second is Yulong's mult-million dollar mare Barnavara, now with Waller - and interestingly she too is out of a mare of the 11-d tribe.
Over his Classic damline speed is imprinted in the pedigree of Sepals with a 3x 3 cross of three quarter brothers in blood.
Kingman is a son of Green Desert's breedshaping son Invincible Spirit out of a daughter of Blue Hen Hope (by Arc winner Dancing Brave) - and Sepals’ second damsire Oasis Dream is by Green Desert out of Hope herself.
We know the Green Desert sireline reacts favourably to close linebreeding but it's the duplication of Hope that is the unusual X factor here, in combination with another great matron, Lalun and her sire Never Bend.
Lalun is present everywhere - through Mill Reef (sex balanced), Shirley Heights and Riverman.
Never Bend's daughters Courtly Dee and Bend Not are the grand dam and dam of Green Desert and Straight Strike respectively - and additionally both sires carry lines of Royal Charger (three quarter brother to Never Bend's sire Nasrullah).
Hope is from the wider 19 family to which also belongs Lalun, and was out of a Mill Reef mare!
Her son Dancing Brave by Lyphard was the highest rated racehorse of all time on the International Classification, until the advent of Frankel.
He was noted for his dazzling turn of speed, and reliably passed it on.
He wasn't as great a sire as he was a racehorse but now has cemented his place in history with stallions like Dubawi and Kingman descending from his daughters.
There’s a bit of Aussie in there too! Navajo Princess, the dam of Dancing Brave was foaled by Olmec, a stakes winning daughter of the great Australian two year old Pago Pago.
Sepals is also Intensely linebred (sex balanced) to Nijinsky, and his three quarter brother The Minstrel.
Undefeated at the track and trip, Sepals will love the good ground on Saturday and will have Ethan Brown aboard who knows him well. They'll be up around the pace somewhere from barrier 5 ( last year he won from 16!) and looking to create their own piece of Australian turf history.
Next Best: ANGEL CAPITAL
I left Angel Capital out of my Memsie picks and was frankly shocked to get it right with this horse, but now I’m back on the Angel express, and he's back on his preferred good ground!
The now 5yo stallion has had big wraps on him since the day he stepped out on debut at Cranbourne over 1000m and powered home from last to win going away by more than two lengths, but oh what a series of twists and turns it has been since then.
Owners Yulong are counting on Waller to find a way to bag that G1 the son of Harry Angel needs.
Angel Capital was a $400,000 yearling when purchased by Gregory Ho and Upper Bloodstock from the draft of famed SA nursery Mill Park Stud at the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Bred by David Peacock, Angel Capital is the third stakes winner for the excellent Teofilo mare Bahamas.
The other two are the classy stayer Berkeley Square (Territories) and the G3 winner Senor Toba (Toronado) who was runner-up in the G1 QLD Derby and placed in the Champions and Chater Cup at Sha Tin.
Bahamas herself was quality on the track, placed in both the G3 SA Fillies Classic and G1 Schweppes Oaks.
Her first colt by Blue Point, a $300,000 buy for Lucky Owners from the Mill Park draft at the Inglis Easter Australian Yearling Sale last year, will race in HK as Lucky Balerion
Bahamas then produced another son of Blue Point, a grey like his mum and he is named Disraeli.
After missing to Harry Angel, the mare delivered an exciting colt last month to Justify's champion City Of Troy!
Bahamas is a lovely mare like her speedy dam St Trinians - a three times stakeswinning daughter of Nureyev’s Japanese -raced G1 winning sprinter Black Hawk, and the only black type earner from her dam Besotted.
Besotted was by champion Rubiton's full brother Euclase, a G1 winning sprinter and quite an influential broodmare sire.
Her grey coat, which she faithfully passed on - along with plenty of speed - was inherited from her damsire, the brilliant Native Dancer grandson Godswalk.
Angel Capital's damline has been nurtured through the generations on the lush paddocks of Mill Park Stud.
It goes back to the mare Indiscreet, a daughter of the magnificent old stallion Rain Lover, winner of two Melbourne Cups and a champion WFA performer to boot.
The female line continues back to the 1928 GB foaled import Gaiment, a mare from a relatively obscure branch of the famous 13a family and descending from Magdalen, a half sister to breedshaping Blue Hen Stray Shot who became ancestress of the great French champion Tourbillon and of Lalun's damsire Djeddah, Mr Prospector, Seattle Slew, Darshaan and many more.
Angel Capital is bred
Northern Dancer x 5m,5m
Danzig 6m x 5m
Just a handful of of the speed enhancing patterns he is bred on:
Native Dancer is duplicated via his sons Atan, Raise A Native and Dancers Image, and sex balanced through numerous lines to his greatest daughter Natalma.
Blue Hen Special sex balanced 5f x4m through his dam
Blue Hen Schiaparelli is sex balanced - Harry Angel has two lines to her daughter Barley Corn, while Bahamas descends from a daughter of Matrice by her son Masthead.
Mahmoud and more Mahmoud - the famous grey is the foundation of this pedigree through many duplications of his daughter Almahmoud, but also Mahmoudess and Level Sands - while Harry Angel carries a sex balanced duplication of the sire Migoli - out of Mahmoud's three quarter sister Mah Iran - and this is a major source of his blistering speed.
Angel Capital was purchased by Yulong following his explosive G2 victory in the Autumn Stakes.
He had to be scratched (as favourite) from the Australian Guineas on race morning, was the hard luck story of the Sir Rupert Clarke last year and should have finished closer in The Everest.
He has placed in an Orr Stakes, Newmarket and William Reid. He more than deserves that G1.
From 17 starts Angel Capital has won 5 and placed in 4 for earnings of just under $2.3 million.
He loves Caulfield and is ready to go third up with his Newmarket partner Ben Melham back on from barrier 10, a good gate for him I think!
Roughie: PLANET RED
Planet Red was sneaky good in the Memsie I thought, when more forward than usual and boxing on solidly. I expect to see a return to backmarker tactics here, and that plus getting back on top of the ground and a weight drop to a paltry 53.5kg, gives the dual G1 Guineas runner up every hope of causing an upset!
The big red stunner is built in the image of his sire, Arrowfield's shuttler Admire Mars - an undefeated juvenile in Japan and later a champion miler, with his international success coming in the 2019 G1 Hong Kong Mile.
Admire Mars has sired the dual Japanese G1 winning Classic filly Embroidery from his first crop and Planet Red is the best of his Australian runners to date.
Planet Red was certainly bred on both sides to win a 3YO Classic and he went close to following the pedigree script!
He's got some X-factor, plus formlines around Autumn Boy and Observer, and the now 4yo should be perfectly suited under these conditions.
The lightly raced Planet Red is the veteran of 9 starts which have yielded 2 wins and 4 placings for $883,375 in earnings.
The uber- canny Mick Price selected Planet Red out of the 2024 Karaka Ready To Run sale, and paid $260,000 for the impressive gelding offered by Ohukia Lodge, who pinhooked him as a Magic Millions yearling for $100,000 from Kenmore Lodge .
Planet Red was bred by John Ramsey and is the third foal from his winning dam Lucky Helmet, by champion Helmet, and she is a half to G3 winner Flying Mascot and a three quarter sister to stakes winner Koala Bear.
The mare has had another two colts by Admire Mars sell at MM Gold Coast Yearling through Kenmore Lodge as agent for Turangga Farms. The first in 2025 was passed in and this year's offering sold for $80,000 to Hancock Quality Bloodstock.
Lucky Helmet's dam Lucky Mascot by the great Zabeel produced seven winners, her best the fine filly Flying Mascot ( Tavistock) who won the G3 Matron, Mannerism and Tesio Stakes.
Lucky Mascot's full sister Axiom produced full brothers sired by Pentire, Xtravagant ( NZ Champion 3YO, G1 2,000 Guineas, Waikato Sprint) and He's Remarkable ( dual G1 mile runner up) - both are at stud and have sired stakes winners.
Planet Red's prolific family is a branch of Teppo (2-e) and it comes through Isa who was a sister to the champion colt Thrice.
Planet Red is bred
Singspiel 4f x 4f
And this linebreeding to the globetrotting superhorse and brilliant broodmare sire is something I'd love to see more of!
Planet Red's damsire Helmet was a genuine freak too. An overall disappointment at stud, he did become a G1 sire, and as a member of the famed “ Accessories” family his genetic potential to pop up in a G1 pedigree always lurks.
The sire of Admire Mars, Daiwa Major descends from Blue Hen Boudoir via Your Hostess - a three quarter sister to Flower Bowl who foaled Danehill's damsire His Majesty.
Planet Red and Mickey Dee will blast off from barrier 10.
Blowout: SUN GOD (GB)
Chris Waller's 6yo import Sun God is a fascinating contender. He began life as a middle distance performer in his homeland and was trained that way initially in Australia, but the son of Fastnet Rock underwent something of a renaissance last season and revealed his talent over shorter trips.
It's not too surprising - he's bred on a variation of the same magic cross (Fastnet Rock over Galileo daughter) as Waller's great mare Via Sistina and warhorse Buckaroo. Notably, Buckaroo was able to place in a Caulfield G1 at WFA over 1400m after he'd placed in a Caulfield Cup and run in two Melbourne Cups, while Via won two G1 Winx Stakes at 1400m to go with her Cox Plates and the rest of her trophy haul.
The speed that “The Rock” imparted remains evergreen as his progeny progress and age.
Galileo is Sun God's second damsire - his first is Shamardal's fine son Lope De Vega who, like Fastnet Rock and Galileo, appears in the pedigrees of G1 winners over any and all distances.
His son Santa Ana Lane - out of a Fastnet Rock mare - won this race in 2017 among his five G1 sprint wins in all.
So I do not underestimate the potential for Sun God to pull out a massive run fresh in this race carrying just 52.5 - even less weight than he had when zipping home to account for a quality field in the 1300m Listed Luskin Star Stakes in May ( becoming Fastnet Rock's 200th SW!) before winning and placing in Brisbane stakes races under big weights.
This race is different gravy of course, but I'm enthused by what stable rep Charlie Duckworth said after Sun God's Listed Tattersall's Mile win in Brisbane before his spell:
“He's bouncing and he's just a different horse this whole preparation…he's been fantastic and I think he's a horse who's going to continue to improve into his next prep. I don't exactly know where that is for him…..but I think he will be a spring carnival horse, and a horse that can go on with the job."
Sun God has won 7 of his 27 starts and placed 4 times for earnings of $662,113.
He was purchased privately as a tried horse by Ozzie Kheir and partners, arriving in Australia in 2024.
The good looking gelding is the second stakes winner from his unraced dam Seaduced ( Lope De Vega) who also has G2 winner Sumo Sam to her credit.
Seaduced is a half sister to G2 winner Stay Alert and stakes-winning Star Rock, both sired by Fastnet Rock.
Sun God is bred
Northern Dancer 4m,5m x 7m,5m,8m
Natalma 5m,5f x 8f,8f
Machiavellian x 5f,5m
He is linebred to Princequillo's Champion US 2YO Filly and Blue Hen Quill, who is both his own ancestress and that of Lope De Vega's damsire Vettori - via the half sisters First Feather ( First Landing) and Euryanthe (Nijinsky) respectively.
Quill’s son by Northern Dancer, One For All, was a Canadian Turf Champion and his three quarter brother by Nijinsky was the multiple G1 winner Caucasus.
Sun God’s ancestress First Feather by First Landing became dam of the American Champion Turf Horse Run The Gantlet among her four stakes winners, and grand dam of G1 winner Dance Of Life as well as Sun God’s fourth dam, the Royal Ascot G2 winning English Spring ( Grey Dawn)
Numerous global G1 winners have traced their ancestry to Quill, who was bred 5 x 5 to the Epsom Derby hero and champion sire Persimmon.
Speed on Sun God's damline is bestowed by the sires In Reality, First Landing and Count Fleet, the latter a relation of Bolero who sired the fantastic mare Crimson Saint, dam of Royal Academy ( Fastnet Rock) and grand dam of Storm Cat, Lope De Vega's sireline, both five star nicks with Galileo.
The influential Lyphard line sire through Linamix, and Mill Reef's champion Shirley Heights impart their class and stamina to the mix.
The taproot mare of Princequillo's family (1-b) is Morel, also ancestress of Troy, the damsire of Shamardal.
Troy, Vettori and Sun God's ancestress First Feather all combine that blood with Turn-To or his sire Royal Charger on their tail female lines which is a brilliant nick for Marauding in Fastnet Rock.
Galileo's damsire Miswaki boosts the affinities, descending from a Princequillo mare bred on a cross with Royal Charger's three quarter brother Nasrullah.
Sun Good is exceedingly linebred to the Blue Hen Almahmoud and her daughters Natalma and Cosmah, to Princequillo’s greatest daughter Somethingroyal and to Fastnet Rock's own family (2-f)
Sun God's dam is linebred to Belle Sauvage and Lalun who are absent from the Rock’s pedigree and important for him, as are her duplications of Mr Prospector, Hail To Reason, War Relic's son Intent, My Babu and Grey Sovereign ( Zeddaan, Kenmare, Fortino).
Linamix is a relation of Fair's Fair, Big Game and Sir Tristram all appearing in Fastnet Rock’s dam.
Sun God with Jye McNeil aboard sees Caulfield for the first time, which can be tricky - on the other hand it's a track that should suit his racing style, if he gets room at the right time to produce that turn of foot from barrier 2!
