Amy Ingram and her co-owners in Honor Babe refused a $1 million offer for the filly from Waterhouse a couple of weeks before the race. The $487,000 prize took her earnings to $657,000. She has won six from 16 and looms as a Melbourne Cup chance.Lonhro collected his fourth group I of the season and sixth in his career with an easy win in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Aust-I). At his final 4 year-old start, the black son of Octagonal advanced his earnings beyond $3.4 million, gleaned from winning at 18 of 25 starts.Lonhro's season sign-off from Pentastic and Republic Lass wasn't enough to see him seriously challenge Northerly as Australian Horse of the Year, despite the latter's three fall defeats in Sydney. At the only occasion they have met, Lonhro was sixth as Northerly collected a second W.S. Cox Plate (Aust-I) success.
Trainer Gai Waterhouse broke the record of six group I wins over the 4-day Australian Jockey Club's Fall meeting when Hasna easily won the Champagne Stakes (Aust-I) on the final day, May 3.Sydney's leading conditioner had equalled the record, jointly held by her late father Tommy Smith and Lee Freedman, when the Sunday Silence filly Sunday Joy collected the Australian Oaks on April 26.Nine group Is are decided at the Randwick carnival, her opening day haul the Doncaster with Grand Armee and the Galaxy with Snowland. Hasna won the Sires' Produce on Easter Monday, the addition of the Champagne ensuring the filly would be the 2-year-old generation leader.Hasna is by Snippets from They Say, an unraced daughter of Thirty Six Red. Snowland is also by Snippets, a deceased son of Lunchtime.The other Oaks day group I success for Waterhouse was with Arlington Road in the All-Aged Stakes.She had four runners in the final group I, the Sydney Cup. But the $750,000 (Australian funds) 3,200 meters handicap was won by another woman handler, Katrina Alexander with Honor Grades daughter Honor Babe.Partnered by Kerrin McEvoy, the 4 year-old filly won easily from gelded 4-year-olds County Tyrone and Grey Song. The latter is by Unbridled's Song and came from last of the 16 runners at the final bend.The Cup success was just the fourth by a New Zealand-bred in the 47 Australian group I races decided this season.
