Easter Cup for Galileo Stayer

Born in the last crop of Australian bred foals by champion sire Galileo, seven year-old gelding Sertorius (7g Galileo x Pretty Penny, by Encosta de Lago) had not won a race since taking the Group II MRC Zipping Classic at Sandown in 2013, but he found his best form at Caulfield on Saturday to take out the Group III MRC Easter Cup. Prepared by Jamie Edwards and Bruce Elkington, Sertorius was having his second run back from a spell and relished the step up to 2000 metres following a good second to Suavito in the Group II VRC Blamey Stakes. He was tough to the line, winning by a neck and taking his overall record to 10 wins and 14 placings from 37 starts with prizemoney topping $1.2 million. "We thought he’d hit his absolute prime in the autumn of last year. He ran second, third and fourth in Group I’s last year and he was just a couple of lengths off them,” Edwards said. "This year we decided we’d just target the Group IIs and Group IIIs with him and it’s probably more realistic. "Once again he’s raced in a Group III and he’s won. That’s probably his realistic grade.” A $100,000 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale purchase from the draft of Glentree Downs, Sertorius is a half-brother to ill-fated Group III winner Clifton Red and stakes-placed Fortune of War and I Am Titanium being the best of four winners from stakes-placed Encosta de Lago mare Pretty Penny. Pretty Penny was covered last year by champion sire Fastnet Rock.