By Mary-Jo Jackson

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An in-form Craig Williams added a remarkable eighth Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) to his record on Saturday as he guided the Cliff Brown-trained Sepals (Calyx) to a gritty breakthrough top-flight victory in the $1 million handicap.

Able to make the 52-kilogram lightweight, Williams was replacing Sepals’ last-start partner Ethan Brown and produced a masterful ride, urging the progressive four-year-old gelding to sit second after a tardy start from barrier 14 of 15.  

The pair kicked clear upon straightening and Sepals – lining up for just his seventh start off the back of a brilliant first-up win over course and distance last month – was strong to line, holding off the challenge of Miss Roumbini (Zoustar) to score by 0.8 lengths, with the autumn’s Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Feroce (Super Seth) finishing just 0.3 lengths further away in third.

Angel Capital (Harry Angel), sent off the $2.90 favourite ahead of Sepals ($3.50), suffered a troubled passage from barrier 12 and flashed home late to take fourth. The winning time of 1m 21.39s was just 0.19s outside of the course record on the Good 3 surface. 

For Cliff Brown, a multiple Group 1-winning trainer before he departed for Singapore in 2007, the win was a first elite-level triumph since his return from that now-obsolete jurisdiction four years ago. 

“To win this race, it’s tremendous,” Brown said. “These are races I grew up with as a kid and that was a long time ago. To win it, it’s very special.”

The Mornington-based trainer admitted his surprise at seeing Williams take up a forward position early. 

“It was quite interesting,” he said. 

“He came out and said I will just let him find his feet. That went out the window, but that’s what he does, and that’s why you put the best on. He’s done a great job.”

Sepals has a nomination for this year’s Epsom Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) but Brown said there are no plans in store as to where the gelding would head next.

“I’ll see what the boys want to do, but this is very special,” the winning trainer said. 

“I’m really pleased for everyone. [Wife] Jo and the kids and the staff, they’re amazing. There’s a lot of work that goes into these horses. He’s a special horse and he deserves the attention that he gets.” 

Strengthening his lead as the most successful jockey in the race’s history, Williams was completing a Group 1 double having also landed the Underwood Stakes (Gr 1, 1800m) aboard the impressive Sir Delius (Frankel) 40 minutes earlier. 

It was therefore the veteran rider’s third Group 1 in the space of a week, adding to victory onboard Mr Brightside (Bullbars) in last Saturday’s Makybe Diva Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m).

Williams was impressed with Sepals’ performance, adding there are bigger things in store for the son of late Coolmore sire Calyx (Kingman).

“It’s hard to win Group 1s and he’s done it and that’s not it for this horse. He’s got more to come,” he said. 

“He’s got such a good action, he’s got a great motor, and I was very fortunate to ride him today.”

Bred by Greg Perry and an $80,000 purchase for his trainer at the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Sepals is the first foal and first winner out of Casino Prince (Flying Spur) mare What’s New, who was prepared by Brown to become Singapore’s Champion Four-Year-Old and Older Female in 2019.

His fourth dam is Good Faith (Straight Strike), the dam of two stakes winners and herself a winner of the Sistema Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) who was named the top filly on the 1996-97 Australasian Two-Year-Old Classification. 

In winning the Sir Rupert Clarke, Sepals  (4 g Calyx – What’s New by Casino Prince) became the first Group 1 winner for Coolmore’s ill-fated Calyx, who died aged nine due to an acute foot injury in May.