Fifth Australian-bred first-crop winner for Sepoy

Second winner in four days as Cortado impresses at Ellerslie

Two-year-old Sepoy">Sepoy filly Cortado became the fifth Australian-bred first-crop winner for her sire with a determined victory over six furlongs at Ellerslie in New Zealand on 6 May.

After jumping well from the inside barrier, Cortado tracked the speed in the early stages. The leaders left the rail turning for home allowing Cortado to burst through and go on to record a narrow but impressive win.

Bred by Pencarrow Thoroughbreds, Cortado is the sixth winner from as many runners for Night Shift mare Macchiato, the dam of Stakes-winning juvenile Harb.

Cortado is the second winner in the past four days for Australia's leading first-season sire Sepoy who was represented by the hugely impressive Cardenas, a six-length winner against the older horses at Geelong last Friday, while his other Australian-bred winners include Stakes performers Chipanda and She’s Positive as well the speedy Giroux.

Sepoy recorded his first European-bred winner last month, when his daughter Kilmah ran out the impressive winner of a Newmarket maiden.