A look at some of the other angles from Epsom Handicap day at Randwick.
Thompson filly shows no Merci
John Thompson has only had two progeny by sub-fertile stallion Extreme Choice but given both of them have been stakes winners, he would be happy to take on a few more.
The Randwick horseman put the polish on 2021 Listed Woodlands Stakes winner Xtremetime, who sadly suffered a fatal injury during that year's Silver Shadow Stakes, cutting short her promising career after just four starts.
Saturday's Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) winner Bel Merci is the first horse by Extreme Choice that Thompson can recall having had since, and he reckons she has at least as much ability.
"I think they are the only two Extreme Choices I have trained and they're both stakes winners," Thompson said.
Bel Merci was Thompson's second Gimcrack winner, 13 years after Hussousa took out the same race.
While he doesn't often play a role in the early-season juvenile features, he says Bel Merci has been one out of the box.
"I don't normally push my two-years-olds but when they (breeder-owners Bell River Thoroughbreds) gave her to me they said, 'if you can, get her going early' and she has just done it herself. She is a very natural, good horse," he said.
"You can always tell early when they're pretty good and she has ticked all the boxes from day one."
Swiftfalcon soars towards G1 Spring Champion
Promising three-year-old Swiftfalcon has stamped himself as a genuine Spring Champion Stakes contender after posting the second impressive win of his current campaign, this time in the Dulcify Stakes.
Stepping out for just his fifth career start, Swiftfalcon backed up a convincing performance at Flemington first-up last month in a 1420m benchmark race with a dominant display in Saturday's Listed 1600m event at Randwick against his own age.
Co-trainer Michael Hawkes pinpointed the Group 1 Spring Champion (2000m) at Randwick on October 26 as an ideal target for the gelding.
"That's always been the plan," Hawkes said.
"First-up we thought about running him here in a Golden Rose, but we decided to take the easy option and head back to Melbourne and then bring him back for this race.
"We thought this would be a little bit weaker race, to be fair, rather than taking on a Caulfield Guineas.
"The Spring Champion has always been there and he's looking like he wants to stay 2000 metres, too, which is great."
Swiftfalcon is on the second line of Spring Champion Stakes markets behind the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Henlein.
Swiftfalcon, the $4 favourite, settled back in the field before chiming in strongly on the outside under jockey Jay Ford approaching the 200m mark in Saturday's race.
He went on to defeat Pleasure Artist ($26) by just over two lengths, with Media Award ($6) third.
Little Dance goal for St Lawrence
The Little Dance on Melbourne Cup day at Randwick is the mission for the Ciaron Maher-trained St Lawrence, who has ended a 15-month drought from the winner's list with his victory in Saturday's Alinta Energy Handicap (1600m).
Starting at $10, the six-year-old passed the qualifying clause for the Little Dance with his Goulburn Cup placing two starts ago and went one better at Randwick, overhauling Chica Mojito ($3.10 fav) by a half-length.
"It was a good run in the Goulburn Cup the other day. We thought with that placing we might be able to sneak him into a Little Dance, we thought that was probably his level," Maher said.
"We were planning on rolling forward here today, it was a bit of an awkward draw. But he didn't step that well and Tommy (Berry), he's riding great, and we were happy he rode him quiet and finished off."
Maher has been alternating St Lawrence between his three NSW bases at Warwick Farm, Bong Bong and Bob's Farm near Newcastle to keep him mentally fresh, given the horse kicked off his current campaign in April.
"He has been up for a while, but a change is as good as a holiday sometimes," Maher said.
Flying Airman wins Premiere
The Hawkes Racing-trained Airman has scored a boilover win in the Premiere Stakes at Randwick, upstaging Everest contenders Bella Nipotina and Giga Kick, along with reigning champion Think About It.
Starting a $41 outsider in the seven-horse field, Airman charged along the rails for Zac Lloyd and survived a late surge from Mazu to prevail by a neck with Bella Nipotina the same margin away third.
Giga Kick finished fourth and Think About It sixth after the latter was jagged back to last in what turned out to be a moderately-run race, Think About It's trainer Joe Pride describing it as "an absolute trainwreck to watch".
"They've just gone so slowly in that race, which is unusual," Pride told stewards.
"He has run well my horse, but he's got no chance from there."
Given the calibre of some of the scalps Airman claimed, co-trainer Michael Hawkes said he would welcome any Everest interest.
"Talk to us. We've got no problems in talking to anybody," Hawkes said.
"He's up there with them. He's proven he can do it. Why not?"
Bella Nipotina showed she was right on target for the Everest in two weeks with another competitive run, while James Mcdonald said Giga Kick was open to improvement.
"A common run but he will improve. He is building toward something. It was an OK run," McDonald said.
Quote of the Day: "We've had a great day. Exceedance, Ole Kirks - I feel like a proud Dad really, to be honest." – co-trainer Michael Hawkes after two of his former horses-turned stallions, Ole Kirk and Exceedance, produced black-type winners at Randwick, including the Hawkes Racing-trained Swiftfalcon in the Dulcify Stakes.
