El Epuecuén delivered a flawless display of speed over the kilometer to defeat Le Cornette in the Gran Premio Maipú (G1)
- Turf Diario
- Nov 9
- 2 min read
In his first start down the straight, the son of Il Campione capped a tremendous training job by Miguel Cafere, his conditioner
What a horse El Epecuén must be to have captured the Gran Premio Maipú (G1) this Saturday at Palermo in his very first try down the straightaway. With a masterful training job from Miguel Cafere, the son of Il Campione earned his first top-level victory in style, defeating Le Cornette (Emmanuel) decisively to close out the Derby day program with a flourish.
Dropping back to the straight course is one of the most challenging transitions for both horses and their connections, but when class prevails, performances like this one can happen.
From day one, El Epecuén was held in high regard in his barn. Proof of his quality came in his debut, when he won impressively and left none other than El Kódigo (Equal Stripes) back in third by seven lengths. Yet physical issues began to trouble him soon after his start in the Gran Premio Gran Criterium (G1), preventing him from fulfilling his early promise despite collecting a few wins along the way.
After several interruptions in his campaign, the turning point came when Cafere decided to shorten him up and target the straight races, a gradual process that finally paid off in spectacular fashion.
El Epecuén broke sharply and ran to the rhythm of the leaders against seasoned sprinters. Never far from the pace set by favorite Le Cornette, he crept closer through the run and, once in range, struck decisively. He took command in the final furlong and never looked back, his stamina from longer trips serving him well. He crossed the wire a length in front of Le Cornette, with Bailarín de Venecia (Angiolo) completing the trifecta two lengths farther behind. The final time was 56.36 seconds.
Bred by Haras El Paraíso and guided perfectly by Juan Cruz Villagra, the grandson of champion Intérprete (Farnesio) announced himself as a new force among the sprinters. Now, all roads likely lead to December’s Gran Premio Félix de Álzaga Unzué (G1), where a clash with the division’s three-time champion Labrado (Le Blues) could be next.
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