It may have felt more like winter, but Joseph Ible capped off Kembla Grange's sizzling spring with success in Saturday's Midway Handicap at Rosehill.
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Seven-year-old mare Sepulchure, with Gerry Harvey of electrical and whitegoods fame among the ownership, lapped up the wet conditions to charge to a victory of more than two lengths in the 2000m event.
Ible returned to Kembla Grange, where he started his career, from Canberra earlier this year, a move partly motivated by the increased prizemoney potential of the newly-established Midway races for Provincial and small Metropolitan stables, worth $100,000.
And the decision is starting to pay off, as Sepulchure, at $26, showed a Heavy 10 track would be no impediment.
Sepulchure rolled off the heels of third-placegetter Viren, before fending off the challenge of favourite Rebel Rama.
"Just a magnificent mare, that's her seventh win for us," Ible told Sky Racing.
"She just keeps showing up, today was a bit of a query on the Heavy 10, but Rachel (King) rode her an absolute treat, just where I wanted to see her in the run.
"She travelled sweetly and certainly handled the conditions."
Sepulchure's city-level win comes after Robert and Luke Price took out the $1m The Gong with Count De Rupee last week, with Wollongong jockey Brock Ryan aboard.
Saturday's Rosehill meeting was Ryan's last before finishing his riding apprenticeship.
Ryan has a 10-day suspension to serve first for early interference during his winning ride in Kembla Grange's richest race.
Count De Rupee also finished second in the lucrative Golden Eagle, while neighbour Kerry Parker claimed three Group races with Think It Over this campaign, before collecting a $1 million bonus for winning the Rosehill Gold Cup.
And Theresa Bateup has also had a fine spring, with The Guru and Divine Breath scoring on The Gong day.
Divine Breath also ran third in the new $700,000 Four Pillars race.
Ible confirmed Sepulchure would head to the Magic Millions carnival on the Gold Coast in January, to run in the Subzero Quality Handicap over 2400m, worth $1 million in prizemoney.
"She'll be off to the Magic Millions now so we'll have a runner for Mr Harvey up at his carnival," he said.
"She's got another run or two into that, but that's the grand final for her."
King said Sepulchure showed her maturity to prevail on a heavily rain-affected track.
"She travelled really well, a couple of times I thought I was travelling a bit too well," King said.
"It's nice ride a horse with that confidence on this sort of track.
"It's interesting, she didn't really handle it early days but as she's got older she's developed a liking for it.
"I think she's still progressing in a funny sort of way, I know she's an older mare but since I've been riding her, I know Joe says she just keeps improving and confidence is a big thing."
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