Native Soldier adds to Sepoy’s growing Stakes tally

Speedy colt runs away with G3 McNeil Stakes at Caulfield

Native Soldier, a colt made in the image of his sire, has given Sepoy his third Australian Stakes winner and ninth overall with an impressive victorying the G3 HDF McNeil Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday, 1 September.

A golden chestnut like his sire, an displaying the same brand of blistering speed as Sepoy, Native Soldier crossed quickly from a wide gate, maintained a strong gallop throughout and still had 2-3/4 lengths to spare over runner-up The August.

The win was the colt’s third from seven starts, his previous successes having come in two-year-old races last season.

Native Soldier is out of the Belong To Me mare Belong To Many, whose eight wins included the G2 Sapphire Stakes at Randwick.

The colt joins Godolphin’s dual G1-winning filly Alizee and the three-year-old gelding Marcel From Madrid as Sepoy’s local Stakes winners.

He is also the second Stakes winner in the past two weeks for Sepoy whose best European runner, Unforgetable Filly scored a Listed victory at Haydock on 18 August.

Sepoy, the champion three-year-old sprinter of his generation in Australia, is standing the current southern hemisphere season at Northwood Park in Victoria at a fee of A$11,000 including GST.