3 minute read

Epaulette filly gets off the mark on her third attempt.

Having run twice as a two-year-old, the Grahame Begg-trained Vespertine (3 f Epaulette - Sweet Nothings by Falvelon) shed her maiden status on her first start as a three-year-old when she got off the mark at Kyneton on Thursday. 

The daughter of Darley stallion Epaulette (Commands) pulled clear in the final stages to post a length and a quarter victory over Siren Rock (Lonhro), while Huguenot (Keep The Faith) was another length away in third. 

Purchased by her trainer and Rohan Hughes Thoroughbred Services for $110,000 from the Amarina Farm at the 2019 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, the filly is out of unraced Falvelon (Alannon) mare Sweet Nothings, making her a half-sister to one other winner. 

Sweet Nothings herself is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Red Terror (Red Ransom) and Lim's Reward (Royal Academy), who won at Listed level in Singapore. 

Further back the filly hails from the same family as Grade 3 winner Agacerie (Exclusive Native) and Japanese Grade 1 scorer Toho Jackal (Special Week) and Toho Amapola (Fuji Kiseki), who won at Grade 3 level in Japan. 

Sweet Nothings' 2018 filly by Holy Roman Emperor (Danehill) was purchased by John Brownson for $10,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale earlier this year and she produced a colt by Darley shuttler Ribchester (Iffraaj) in 2019. 

Epaulette - who stood at Darley's Kelvinside base for a fee of $22,000 (inc GST) this year - has 12 lots catalogued at next year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, which gets underway on January 12