Perth turned on a perfect warm spring afternoon as a backdrop to the much anticipated opening day of Ascot's 2025/26 racing season and winter well and truly banished, a festive crowd turned out in celebratory mood.

Not only emulating the success of his sire The Autumn Sun by winning the $3m Group 1 MRC Caulfield Guineas (1600m), who could forget the epic battle between Testa Rossa and Autumn Boy’s grandsire Redoute’s Choice in the 1999 running of the time-honoured stallion-making race.