It was a good day for two of Darley Stud’s reverse shuttlers, Sepoy and Exceed and Excel, who claimed the two feature stakes at Naas as racing resumed in Ireland on Monday.
The 3yo, Jessica Harrington-trained, Sepoy filly Punita Arora earned her first stakes success with a barnstorming finish in the Listed Kuroshio At Compass Stallions Committed Stakes.
After an indifferent start, Punita Arora, finished best under Shane Foley to defeat the Joseph O'Brien-trained Alligator Alley (Kingman) by a length with the Aiden O’Brien-trained Pistoletto (War Front) a half-length back in third.
A 41,000 guineas purchase by BBA Ireland at the 2018 Tattersalls December Yearling Sale, Punita Arora advances her record to 2 wins, 2 seconds and a third from 7 starts with earnings of €58,395.
“We have to thank Will Hayes for his work over the last couple of weeks because she's been very difficult in the stalls. She was still slow out of them but didn't rear today, which was the main thing,” Harrington's daughter Kate told Irish Racing.
Sepoy (Mark Smith)
“Shane always said he thought it'd really play into her hands the fact that they'd go hard because she loves following. We'll see what the owners want to do, but the Commonwealth Cup could be an option next week. We've always held her in high regard.
“She'll get confidence from the stalls from today and if she could iron that out, there could be a little more improvement hopefully.”
The daughter of Sepoy first runner out of winning Pivotal mare Wojha, who is a half-sister to Group III Fred Darling Stakes winner Muthabara (Red Ransom).
Wojha’s dam Hureya (USA) spent a few years in Australia. She was covered by Redoute’s Choice to northern hemisphere time before being repatriated to Europe.
The result of that union was the handy colt Maraheb who won races at Newmarket and Haydock before finishing his career in Dubai.
Punita Arora becomes the 17th stakes-winner for Sepoy who stands at Darley’s Northwood Park in Victoria in 2020 at a fee of $7,700.
Shane Foley was back in action one race later when he guided the 4yo Exceed And Excel gelding Sceptical to a three length romp in the Listed Anglesey Lodge Equine Hospital Woodlands Stakes over five and a half furlongs.
After finishing third in a Dundalk maiden when on debut in October last year, Sceptical has reeled off four consecutive wins, all by big margins.
A bargain-basement 2,800 pound purchase just a few months before his debut last year, the Denis Hogan-trained gelding has now banked €50,477 and has some lofty goals.
“He’s a special horse and so easy to train,” Hogan told Irish Racing.
“I’m delighted for (owners) Jim Gough and James McAuley. They picked him out. Jim’s gutted he’s not here as he loves his racing, but he has a good horse and he’ll probably go to Ascot next week for the King’s Stand.
“He might be entered in the Diamond Jubilee as well and other than that there is the Greenlands. They are the three options at the moment.
“He’s the best horse by far that I’ve ever had. I saw him doing a bit of work at Charlie Swan’s last Tuesday. I’ve seen a lot of horses go up that gallop and I’ve never seen a horse go up it as quick and powerful.
Exceed And Excel (Mark Smith)
“He’s exciting and the kid on his back is exciting as well. He was in the deep end there today and it didn’t faze him one bit. He said it was comfortable and there was still a bit of greenness there.
“He’d never been on grass before but I wasn’t worried as Dundalk is a quick surface and that is beautiful out there today. The ground staff deserve some credit through all the dry weather to produce good to firm safe ground with a brilliant cushion of grass.
“I’d say it will be the King’s Stand as he showed there that he has plenty of boot. That was a big step up in grade as he beat handicappers well the last day but he beat pattern horses well today.”
A half-brother to the Group III-placed Queen of Sicily (Cape Cross), Sceptical is the best of three winners out of the Group II Royal Ascot Queen Mary Stakes heroine Jealous Again (Trippi).
Sceptical becomes the 172nd stakes-winner for Darley Stud’s foundation stallion Exceed And Excel who will line up for his 17th season at Darley, Kelvinside at a fee of $132,000 when he returns from his tour of duty in Ireland.
