Group 3 Victory for Lauriston Graduate Eptimum

Lauriston Farm bred Eptimum strides away to win Group 3 race on Cox Plate Day (Mike Keating-Racing Photos)

No longer just a travelling companion, Lauriston Farm graduate Eptimum is now a solid challenger to his more famous stablemate Houtzen.

After his dominant win in the Group 3 Red Anchor Stakes over 1200 metres on Cox Plate Day, he will now line up (against Houtzen) in the prestigious Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes on Derby Day.

Eptimum (Snitzel) was a $200,000 purchase by his trainer Toby Edmonds from the Lauriston Thoroughbred Farm draft at the 2016 Magic Millions Yearling Sale.

Edmonds had massive wraps for him as a young horse and, early days, believed Eptimum would be the best two-year-old in his stable.

Lauriston’s James O’Brien remembers Eptimum as a yearling well, being forward and precocious enough to take to the Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale.

Lauriston Farm bred Eptimum prior to the 2016 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Eptimum had just the one unplaced run as a two-year-old before getting on the float in early Spring to accompany Magic Millions Classic winner Houtzen to Melbourne as she prepared for the Spring Carnival including the Everest.

While down here Eptimum has flown through the grades, winning a Super VOBIS maiden at Ballarat, before a solid win in at Bendigo. He then stepped up significantly to record his third win in a row with his Group 3 triumph on Saturday.

“It is staggering that he has come from a maiden to a Group 3, and to win so dominantly,” O’Brien said.

The times he ran, his sectionals were just superb…he only ran 0.02 slower than Hey Doc in the Manikato the night before, and he wasn’t even ridden right out to the line.

“Toby brought him down for some experience, and I think they have done a terrific job. I am just so excited for our farm, and excited for the mare.”

Lauriston Thoroughbreds purchased Eptimum’s dam, Paramount, as a yearling for $200,000. She is a sister to Group 1 QTC Stradbroke Handicap winner La Montagna.

Eptimum is the third foal of Paramount, who has a Not A Single Doubt two-year-old filly purchased by Aquis/Blue Sky Bloodstock for $120,000 at the Inglis Premier Sale earlier this year. The promising filly is in training with Mick Price and is apparently showing ability.

Paramount’s yearling colt by So You Think will head to Melbourne Premier Sale in March next year, and she foaled a very nice filly by Press Statement earlier this month.

And Lauriston has plenty to be excited about this Saturday with Eptimum in the Coolmore while the Lauriston bred, Gai Waterhouse trained Global Glamour is favourite for the Group 1 Myer.

“It would be really brilliant for Lauriston Farm, having won the Ascot Vale Stakes (now the Coolmore) with Gold Edition, to now have a chance of winning it again with a horse we bred.”

Lauriston Farm will be making the journey from Corinella to the Gold Coast again in January with a small but high quality draft of two yearlings.

They include a Brazen Beau filly, out of the General Nediym mare Five Star Belle and – perhaps one of the sale’s stars – a Snitzel filly out of multiple Group 1 star filly/mare Gold Edition.

Article from Thoroughbred Breeders Victoria

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