Racing: Sepoy too classy in Golden Slipper

Unbounded joy surrounded Sepoy's win in the Golden Slipper as the Darley camp celebrated Sheikh Mohammed's biggest win in Australia at Rosehill on Saturday.

In stark contrast, trainer Anthony Cummings was left wondering what might have been after Smart Missile, the only horse to have beaten Sepoy and the second favourite, was withdrawn by the vet after getting his leg over the side of the barrier stall.

Adding to the drama, Chris Waller was denied his first Slipper runner when Fast And Sexy was also taken out of the race.

The long-time favourite for the A$3.5 million ($4.73 million) feature (1200m), Sepoy eased after he was beaten by Smart Missile in the Todman Stakes but the money poured back leading up to the race.

Sepoy started $2.80, with Smart Missile second elect at $5 when he was scratched.

"It is a tremendous feeling," winning trainer Peter Snowden said.

"It is the best feeling I have ever had in my life.

"I still had doubts. After he got beaten in the Todman but he worked well on Tuesday, and my son Paul told me to back my judgment."

Jockey Kerrin McEvoy also backed his judgment and had Sepoy up on the pace third with Karuta Queen ($11) leading as expected.

The Queanbeyan filly carted the field into the straight but was a target for those just behind her and Sepoy took the lead at the 300m mark.

Mosheen ($101) was the surprise packet, chasing Sepoy home to run him to within two lengths with Elite Falls ($13) coming from the back of the field for third, another 1 lengths away.

"It just couldn't have worked out any better," McEvoy said. "The longer he was in the barriers the better he stood and then he began well.

"I couldn't believe the run we got."

Sepoy has started six times for five wins and becomes just the fifth horse to claim the Blue Diamond-Golden Slipper double.

While the spoils were being presented to the victors, Cummings and jockey Glen Boss were in the stewards' room studying the video of the incident that led to Smart Missile's withdrawal.

Boss argued that although the colt got his leg over the side of the barrier, he was calm throughout the incident.

However, chief steward Ray Murrihy explained the vet had to rule if a horse was strung up for any length of time and in Smart Missile's case it was 40 seconds.

Cummings will give Smart Missile a jumpout early this week to satisfy stewards the colt can run in the group one Sires' Produce on Saturday.

But he was shaking his head about what might have been.

Apart from the two horses scratched at the barrier, there were few hard-luck stories in the race and a good-luck story for the Mosheen team from Melbourne.

After the filly won on debut at Caulfield on March 19, trainer Leon Corstens reminded owner Phil Sly she was paid up for the Slipper.

"Three weeks ago, I wouldn't have thought we would be here," Corstens said.

"We thought we might as well have a go and it's an enormous result."

The Golden Slipper means much more than the stakemoney, immediately catapulting the colt's worth as a future stallion into the A$10 million-plus bracket.

Winning owner Sheikh Mohammed, who watched the race on television in Dubai, was "unbelievably excited" by Sepoy's victory, according to his Australian spokesman.

Trainer Pat Carey will focus on the Melbourne spring carnival after Cedarberg caused another upset at the Sydney Carnival to win the BMW.

Cedarberg was sent out a $26 chance in the A$2.25 million 2400m weight-for-age feature, but overshadowed some of the country's best-credentialled stayers to sweep home along the inside and defeat Mourayan by 1 lengths.

Linton came in a neck behind his stablemate Mourayan in third place, while favourites Descarado ($3.10) and Maluckyday ($3.40) were never in the hunt, finishing sixth and seventh respectively.

It was the second group one upset of the day after Mirjulisa Lass' Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) win at $51.

Carey narrowly missed winning the Mornington Cup on his home track with Cedarberg in February which would have carried ballot exemption into this year's Caulfield Cup, but he doesn't have to worry now.

"This will do the same job and it's worth 10 times more," Carey said.

"This horse was around the money with some very good horses last spring, including Linton and Precedence, and for a lightly raced horse he's kept making good progress."

Cedarberg, who carried 58.5kg at weight-for-age, has just 51kg in the Sydney Cup (3200m) but Carey hasn't committed to going there as he has his sights on the Cups in the spring.

"He's done his job," Carey said.

Ridden by Damien Oliver, Cedarberg sat back in the field and Oliver cut the corner as runners went wide looking for better ground.

Mourayan held a good lead into the straight but Cedarberg raced through closest to the fence to give Carey his second group one win.

Mourayan was brave in defeat and depending on how he pulls up will line up in the Chairman's Handicap (2600m) next week before the Sydney Cup, while Linton is heading for a spell.

Mourayan is set to be joined by stablemates Muir and C'Est La Guerre in the Sydney Cup.

Melbourne Cup runner-up Maluckyday drifted from $2.80 to $3.40 and was under the whip well before the turn and finished almost five lengths off the winner.

Jockey Jim Cassidy said the Melbourne Cup campaign in the spring "might have gutted him".

An emotional Chris Waller struggled to find the words to describe Rangirangdoo after the gelding staved off Love Conquers All to win the George Ryder Stakes later on the card.

The leading trainer had three runners in the 1500m group one race, with Rangirangdoo the least likely after spending most of the 12 months since his Doncaster victory sidelined by injury.

Danleigh, the defending title holder, started the $5 favourite with Triple Elegance at $9, while Rangirangdoo was a $15 chance.

But it was the 6-year-old who prevailed with Corey Brown weaving a passage through runners to push Rangirangdoo up to Love Conquers All. The pair settled down to fight it out and it was Rangirangdoo who prevailed on the line by a half-head.AAP