Racing: Typhoon Tracy storms home for fifth group one

MELBOURNE - Reigning Horse of the Year Typhoon Tracy has won the first group one race of 2011, making it back-to-back wins in the CF Orr Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.

The 5-year-old collected her sixth win at the elite level and took her prizemoney to nearly A$2.5 million from 20 starts which have yielded 11 wins and five placings.

The Peter Moody-trained Typhoon Tracy, with regular rider Luke Nolen in the saddle, jumped well from her wide gate in the 1400m feature and settled second behind the speedy Danzylum until turning for home.

The Red Ransom mare hit the front at the top of the straight but was immediately challenged, with Heart Of Dreams and Ortensia leading the charge.

But Typhoon Tracy dug deep and held off Heart Of Dreams in what was a replica of last year's result. Ortensia was third.

"She's my banner horse," Moody said. "It's just great to see her back on top."

It was Typhoon Tracy's first win in seven starts, since her success in the Queen Of The Turf (1500m) at Rosehill in April last year.

"She's getting a bit older now, it just took her a bit longer to get mobile," Nolen said.

* Darley colt Sepoy is the horse to beat in the A$1 million Blue Diamond Stakes after easily accounting for his rivals in the colts and geldings Prelude on the programme.

The adaptable son of Elusive Quality maintained his unbeaten record in three starts in the group three 1100m race.

Sent out $1.40 favourite, Sepoy sat outside the leader Huegill ($15) and powered away in the straight to score by 3 lengths from Running Tall ($14) with Huegill a length away third.

"He was tradesmanlike again and I think he'll be better with a sit. He can relax a lot better, certainly his turn of foot will be much stronger," Paul Snowden, Melbourne stable foreman for his father Peter Snowden who prepares Sepoy.

Winning jockey Mark Zahra is confident Sepoy can give him his first Blue Diamond saying the colt did the job "effortlessly" with his explosive turn of foot. "I lobbed outside the leader without as much as a squeeze. He did get a tad lost on the bend today but once I balanced up and he saw the others coming he put paid to them really quick," he said on Saturday.

Moody agreed that Sepoy was the horse to beat in the Blue Diamond but hasn't conceded with One Last Dance or stablemate Hallowell Belle who had a chequered run before finishing third.

One Last Dance ($3.30 fav), a daughter of Encosta De Lago, was tardily away for rider Luke Nolen and settled back but accelerated in the straight to win comfortably although getting in towards the running rail.

- AAP