mmg.com.au

It’s not often the biggest crowd of the day at a racemeeting is seen before the first race, but that was certainly the case at Seymour on Thursday.

Many locals took the opportunity to visit the track to catch a glimpse two of the best horses in the nation in the flesh.

The 2010 Melbourne Cup winner Americain and last season’s champion two-year-old Sepoy were among a handful of horses to take advantage of a track in wonderful order in furthering their preparations for upcoming events.

Americain's part-owners Colleen and Kevin Bamford listen on as David Hayes gives riding instructions to Steven Arnold (obscured) and Brad Rawiller before Americain and Budai gallop.

The first pair to gallop was two Blue Diamond Stakes hopefuls for Euroa-based trainer David Hayes.

Mama’s Choice (Dwayne Dunn) and Mrs Gray (Luke Nolen) crossed the line almost together after sprinting up from the 600m mark.

Dwayne Dunn and one of the Blue Diamond favourites Mama's Choice before her gallop with Mrs Gray.

Their much-higher profile stablemate Americain was next to go, in company with German import Budai. The latter, a Group Three winner in his homeland over Bart Cummings’ touted stayer Illo and the beneficiary of a recent outing at Caulfield, led up by three lengths passing the 600m.

Budai has two lengths still on Americain as they approach the home turn.

But that’s when Steven Arnold released the breaks on Americain, and the great stayer looked to have plenty in reserve in shading his stablemate on the line.

He was timed to run the section in a little worse than 34 seconds in an outstanding gallop with an eye to a first-up tilt at the Australian Cup on March 10.

The Sheik Mohammed-owned Sepoy had clearly thrived from a summer spell at his owner’s Darley Stud at nearby Northwood and paraded looking like the gallop would do him the world of good.

With Kerrin McEvoy up, the triple Group One winner — which beat a crack field of three-year-old sprinters, including the Seymour-trained Zamorar at his last start on Victoria Derby Day at Flemington — came about six wide on the home turn but still managed to break 34 seconds for a solo gallop.

The son of Elusive Quality is scheduled to kick off his autumn in the Group One Oakleigh Plate on Saturday, a year to the day since he won the Blue Diamond.

David Hayes' Blue Diamond Stakes hopeful Mrs Gray parades before her gallop.