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Salute The Soldier lands Al Maktoum Challenge

Darley Stud-based sire Sepoy (Elusive Quality) was handed his second Group 1 winner on Saturday when the Fawzi Abdulla Nass-trained Salute The Soldier (6 g ex Street Fire by Street Cry) produced an impressive performance to win the Round 3 of the Al Maktoum Challenge (Gr 1, 2000m) at Meydan and now looks set for a start in the Dubai World Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) on March 27. 

Last seen winning Round 2 of the Al Maktoum Challenge (Gr 2, 1900m) on February 11, the six-year-old gelding led throughout and stayed on strongly all the way to line to beat Hypothetical (Lope De Vega) by a length and three-quarters. Roman Rosso (Roman Ruler) was a further three lengths away in third. 

Purchased by Oliver St Lawrence Bloodstock for 380,000gns at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale in 2019, the German-bred gelding is out of the unraced Street Cry (Machiavellian) mare Street Fire, making him a half-brother to four other winners. 

The gelding’s third dam is Listed winner Danzante (Danzig) and she is also the dam of Grade 1 scorer Monzante (Maria’s Mon) and Listed winner Alpha Plus (Mr Prospector). 

Sepoy is the sire of 21 stakes winners in total and in winning the Group 1 Salute The Soldier joins multiple top-flight winner Alizee as the stallion’s other top-flight winner. 

The son of Elusive Quality (Gone West) stands at Darley’s Northwood Park base in Victoria and his fee for 2020 was advertised as $7,700 (inc GST).