Widely expected to take home at least two of the four Group 1s at the second day of The Championships at Randwick on April 12, the all-conquering Yulong Racing stable did just that with two of Australia's best horses - Via Sistina and Treasurethe Moment.
Both lived up to their short-priced favouritism in their respective contests: Treasurethe Moment ($7) in the A$1 million (S$825,000) Australian Oaks (2,400m) and Via Sistina ($8) in the A$5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2,000m), but not without giving their supporters some anxious moments.
The race shape ran counter to their usual patterns, especially for Treasurethe Moment, whose bid to become the 16th filly to do the VRC Oaks/Australian Oaks double - and first since Serenade Rose in 2006 - looked up in smoke upon straightening up.
The daughter of Alabama Express stalked up in a perfect one-out one-back position for regular partner Damian Lane, but the alarm bells were ringing wild with the cheap sectionals that 50-1 smokie Sun 'N' Sand (Alysha Collett) was pinching up front.
Fears in the Matt Laurie and Yulong camp were confirmed when their filly struggled to draw on level terms with Sun 'N' Sand while another roughie, 20-1 shot You Wahng (Craig Williams) was sneaking up on the fence.
Just when the end of Treasurethe Moment's winning streak of seven wins on the trot looked a foregone conclusion, that intangible quality called class came to the rescue.
As she knuckled down to the task, she suddenly lifted to finally assert her superiority in the last 50m, getting a long neck in front of Sun 'N' Sand, with You Wahng third another 0.4 length away.
In Via Sistina's case, the win was a lot less workmanlike, but it was traffic jam that hindered Chris Waller's super mare's booming finish in the home straight.
But, once the mercurial James McDonald threaded a passage for her, she again showed she knew where the winning post was.
In one fell swoop, the Fastnet Rock seven-year-old mare dashed away to her eighth win in 11 starts in Australia, all at Group 1 level - the last seven posted in one season, thereby equalling Waller's megastar mare Winx's record.
Waller praised Yulong's owner Zhang Yuesheng, who just last week (April 5) won Dubai's Group 2 Godolphin Mile with Raging Torrent, for his entrepreneurship.
"Mr Zhang is a great supporter of racing and has brought a lot of money to Australia, which is great for the bloodstock economy," said the Kiwi conditioner.
"He's pushed the value right up and he's not afraid to have a go and race these horses. It's an honour to be training for him."
How fates can change dramatically in the space of one year in racing. At last year's renewal of the QE Stakes, the former George Boughey-trained UK five-time winner was second-up following her Ranvet Stakes debut win.
She was arguably not at the peak of her powers then, but she was the first of the beaten brigade in the QE Stakes that will forever be synonymous with Pride Of Jenni's outrageous all-the-way win.
The latter went on to win the 2024 Australian Horse of the Year title, but Ciaron Maher's mare is not the same this campaign.
She even skipped her title defence in the QE Stakes, picking the Brisbane Winter Carnival instead, but there is no doubt who she has passed the crown of the new queen of the Australian turf to.
Waller could not help crack a joke at the expense of his fellow Melbourne champion trainer.
"We miscalculated the race last year, but full credit to Pride Of Jenni, (jockey) Declan (Bates) and Ciaron, they won the race and pulled our pants down," he said cheekily. "It was a tough day that day, but that makes up for it. I shouldn't be crying."
Speaking of queen of the turf, the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1,600m) went to Waller's other favourite, Fangirl ($7), who also had to survive hairy seconds when hamstrung in congestion.
The fourth Group 1 event, the Sydney Cup (3,200m), was won by $142 outsider Arapaho (Rachel King) for trainer Bjorn Baker.
manyan@sph.com.sg
