Rich Hill Farm's Melbourne Cup hero Shocking rocketed from 33rd to fifth, Shamus Award is a Melbourne Cup winner away from wresting the lead, while Sebring, I Am Invincible, and So You Think continued their great seasons – the upshot of Saturday's splash for cash.
Shocking was already enjoying one of his best seasons before I'm Thunderstruck took him into uncharted waters with victory in the $7.5million Golden Eagle.
Rosemont Stud's Shamus Award joined the party with his 3yo gelded son Kiss Sum who banked $350,000 for his win in the inaugural The Four Pillars (1500m) at Randwick.
Shamus Award is now $2.4million behind premiership front-runner Nicconi with a $4.4million winner's cheque awaiting Incentivise in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday.
Widden Stud's late, great Sebring had a memorable day at Flemington. He enjoyed Group 1 glory with Superstorm in The Cantala. His 3yo daughter Fangirl made a one-act affair of the Group III Carbine Club Stakes, and another of his 3yo daughters, Daisies, looked to have the Group II Wakeful Stakes shot to bits before the late charge by Willowy (Kermadec).
Connection of the Kerry Parker-trained Think It Over wheeled out another truckload of cash from Rosehill after the 6yo son of So You Think won the $750,000 Rosehill Gold Cup and the $1million bonus that went with it.
Yarraman Park Stud's I Am Invincible recorded his tenth Group 1 winner when Home Affairs carried the colours of the sponsor in the Coolmore Stud Stakes.
If there was a performance that matched Home Affairs, it came from the Victoria Derby winner Hitotsu. The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained colt credited Arrowfield Stud's Maurice (JPN) with his first Group 1 winner and rocketed him to the lead in the race for champion second-crop sire.
There was more joy for Arrowfield with former shuttler Real Impact (JPN) the front-runner for leading third-crop sire. Count De Rupee added a second in the Golden Eagle to his third in the Silver Eagle and the Bjorn Baker-trained Dynamic Impact emerged from the rapidly fading light to win the final race at Rosehill.
