Epaulette was sold by Darley and exported to the Turkish National Stud last year, but it doesn’t stop him getting plenty of winners and stakes-winners with the Grahame Begg trained mare Vespertine winning the last race at Flemington on Cup Day to post a valuable Black Type success.
Begg suffered the disappointment of having quality staying mare Lunar Flare scratched this morning from the Melbourne Cup due to lameness, but got some consolation when Vespertine scored a length and a half win in the Listed VRC MSS Mercury Sprint (1200m).
Group placed last preparation, Vespertine was having her second run back from a spell and proved too good for Group I winner Shelby Sixtysix under a perfect ride from Michael Dee.
“We were concerned about the track and when it got to a heavy 9 we were thinking about scratching, but she drew the right gate and had come on so much from her first up start this time around and out of a good form race,” said Grahame Begg.
“We were confident she’s run well and it was a great ride.”
A $110,000 Inglis Classic purchase from the Amarina Farm draft for G M Begg Racing/Rohan Hughes Thoroughbred Services, Vespertine has the overall record of four wins and six placings from 18 starts with prizemoney in excess of $380,000.
She is the best of two winners from unraced Falvelon mare Sweet Nothings, who died in 2020 and was a half-sister to Group III winner Red Terror and stakes-winner Lim’s Reward.
Vespertine is the 19th stakes-winner for Golden Rose winner Epaulette, who now calls the Turkish National Stud home.
