Doomben Racecourse: Epaulette wins Doomben 10,000

Epaulette, who won the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes last September and was second to the famous sprinter Black Caviar last month, won his first major race of 2013 in Saturday’s $630,500 Doomben 10,000 at Doomben Racecourse in Australia.

Ridden by Kerrin McEvoy for trainer Peter Snowden, Epaulette (5-1) rallied from off the pace to win the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 over 6 1/2 furlongs by two lengths over Sea Siren, a 16-1 chance. Buffering finished a nose behind Sea Siren for third in the field of 15. Your Song, the 2-1 favorite, finished sixth.

Epaulette is owned by Sheikh Mohammed and was bred by his Darley Stud. A 3-year-old in the Southern Hemisphere, Epaulette is by Commands and has won 5 of 11 starts.

Epaulette was second to Black Caviar in the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes. The unbeaten two-time Australian Horse of the Year, Black Caviar was retired following that race.

The Doomben 10,000 was marred by a fatal injury to the 8-year-old gelding Rangirangdoo, who won 10 of 34 starts. Rangirangdoo, a winner of Group 1 stakes in Australia in 2010 and 2011, suffered sesamoid injuries in the Doomben 10,000 and was pulled up before the field reached the stretch.