SEPTIMUS HEADS FOR TOP OF STAYING TREE
15 September 2007
Racing Post

BALLYDOYLE not only has the champion stayer but also the heir apparent after Septimus put up a record-breaking performance to win the GNER Doncaster Cup in stunning style.
His stablemate Yeats, the dual Gold Cup winner who runs in today's Irish Field St Leger, is far from finished, but when connections send him to stud they have a ready-made replacement in Septimus.
Like Yeats, the son of Sadler's Wells is a one-time Derby fancy who has found his niche over longer distances.

Ridden by Johnny Murtagh, the 11-10 favourite took over from Finalmente over two furlongs out and galloped on to win by five lengths from Geordieland, beating the course record of 3min 50.29sec by 1.88sec, albeit on a relaid track.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien was not present, and owner Derrick Smith was not sure whether the winner would travel to Australia for the Melbourne Cup, for which he was cut to 10-1 joint favourite (from 16) by VCbet and to 14-1 (from 20) by William Hill, with the Prix du Cadran a possible alternative.
Smith said: "We really do leave that to Aidan. It'd be nice, but we always thought the ground would be wrong for him. With equine flu and the ground, it's a hell of long way to go for nothing.
"He'd be better with a little bit more cut in the ground so I'm very, very pleased.

"We always thought he was good last year. He won the Dante and was then nearfavourite for the Derby. Something obviously went wrong on Derby day last year, but he seems to have come back to his Dante form."

Murtagh was certainly impressed. "Septimus is not your average stayer," he said. "He's no plodder - he's got class and a real turn of foot, and I was very taken with his performance.
"From a mile and a quarter down, I gave him a breather and when I picked him up he did it with some authority. I haven't ridden Yeats, but this fellow is a very good stayer."