Sepals too tough in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes 2025

Sepals has stamped himself as a serious talent after fighting through adversity to land the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield, giving trainer Cliff Brown a treasured success.

The gelding stumbled badly from his wide draw but Craig Williams quickly gathered him up, driving him forward to sit second in the run. Straightening, Williams asked Sepals to go and the $3.50 fancy responded, sprinting clear before staving off Miss Rolumbini’s late challenge. Feroce ($31) finished a further neck back in third as Sepals stopped the clock just shy of the track record.

Brown, who relocated back to Australia after a successful Singapore career, said it was a reward for persistence. “It is overdue from a punter’s perspective but from ours he’s just steadily been working towards something. To win this, it’s very special,” he said. “Jo, the kids, the staff — they’re amazing. He’s a special horse and he deserves the attention.”

The trainer reflected on past near-misses, including Tarnpir Lane’s second placing in the 1997 edition before his runner-up effort in the Epsom Handicap. With Sepals holding an Epsom nomination this spring, Brown will weigh up options with owners in the coming weeks.

Williams’ early move was not exactly in the pre-race script. “It was interesting. He came out and said he’d just let him find his feet, but that went out the window. That’s why you put the best on,” Brown smiled.

Williams himself was glowing in his assessment: “It’s hard to win Group 1s and he’s done it. He’s got such a good action, a great motor. That’s not it for this horse — there’s more to come.”