A look at some of the other angles from the Golden Rose meeting at Rosehill.
Shinn steers Unique Ambition to first-up win
John Sargent stretched Unique Ambition out to an Oaks distance last season, but the trainer anticipates keeping the mare to shorter journeys during her latest campaign, which has started on a winning note.
Unique Ambition resumed with a strong victory under visiting Melbourne jockey Blake Shinn in Saturday's Midway Handicap over 1300m.
It was the four-year-old mare's first start since Sargent extended her to 2200m when unplaced in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks in June.
"Only because I like going to those races," Sargent said.
"She didn't stay that trip. So I'd say probably around a mile might be her 'max'."
Sargent was full of praise for Shinn's ride on Unique Ambition, with the jockey settling the mare just behind the leaders early in the race.
Unique Ambition ($5.50) sprinted to the front between runners approaching the 100m and went on to defeat $4.60 favourite Alabama State by 1-1/2-lengths.
"That's why you put them on," Sargent said.
"He's a master rider. He rode her a bit handier than I thought but he knows how to ride a horse. It was a beautiful ride."
Sargent expects Unique Ambition can progress through the grades after landing her third win from 10 career starts.
"She's a nice mare," he said.
"Hopefully this time she'll show us that she can go up through the grades."
Four overseas raiders in quarantine for Eagle
Four international horses have entered quarantine for the $10 million Golden Eagle, including early favourite Ascoli Piceno.
The brilliant Japanese-trained mare is a $3.50 top pick in early markets as she looks to emulate the feat of Obamburumai 12 months ago and the Australian Turf Club's Nevesh Ramdhani confirmed she was on target to run.
"There are four of them in quarantine," Ramdhani said at Rosehill on Saturday.
"Last night (Friday) they went into quarantine, they will have two weeks there and arrive here on the 15th of October.
"There are some really good horses there, particularly the Japanese, and Lazzat is a French horse who has won six from six and a Group One."
Ascoli Piceno is a Group 1 winner in Japan having claimed her major over a mile last December, with Corazon Beat ($26), who has also entered quarantine for a Golden Eagle (1500m) bid, finishing third in the same race.
Lazzat ($4) claimed her Group 1 at her most recent start over 1300m at Deauville in August, while the William Haggas-trained Lake Forest ($26) rounds out the international contingent for the November 2 feature.
First Light lays Metropolitan marker
First Light has almost certainly added his name to Chris Waller's Metropolitan squad following his thumping victory in the Colin Stephen Quality (2400m) at Rosehill.
Allowed to find his feet early by Tommy Berry, First Light unleashed a powerful sprint down the outside to comfortably take out Saturday's Group 3 race by three lengths over Changingoftheguard.
Waller will talk to the horse's owners and see how First Light comes through the run, but at this stage the gelding will take his place in next week's Group 1 staying feature.
"Most likely First Light will back up. It was a dominant win today," Waller said.
"We've found in the past, backing horses up, it's not always the worst thing in a staying race. They need to be fit.
"He can go home and won't have to do any more galloping. He's had his gallop today."
Matusalem was scratched from the same race due to the rain-affected track but Waller said he remained on target for the Metropolitan, provided he could sneak into the field.
The race has been thrown wide open following confirmation pre-post favourite Eliyass is already in Melbourne and won't line up in the Metropolitan (2400m).
Metropolitan plans for Unusual Legacy
Unusual Legacy was beaten by stablemate Firestorm at Rosehill, but Waller is also keen to back him up in the Group 1 Metropolitan next week.
Firestorm made it two wins from as many starts this campaign with another strong performance to take out Saturday's 1900m benchmark-88 race, defeating the $3.20 favourite Unusual Legacy by a long head.
Waller is convinced Unusual Legacy is ready to step up to 2400m next week.
"There was a bit of speed on today and it probably just left him a little bit flat footed," Waller said of Unusual Legacy.
"I think he's looking like he's ready for further now. Providing he gets in the field, he'll back up next week."
Unusual Legacy shares the second line of betting for The Metropolitan at $8.
Firestorm scored over 1500m first-up before stepping up in distance to win again and Waller said the mare had gone to a new level this campaign.
"She's had two nice rides and two nice wins and she's going about it the right way," he said.
Waller was in two minds about where Firestorm would head before Saturday's race, wondering whether she would handle the 1900m second-up and whether she might possibly get even further.
"She certainly put her hand up to say that she can," he said.
"We're running a bit late for Cups so we've just got to find something to meet in the middle and maybe still give her a late chance to get towards something big.
"We can dream of things but we won't get too far ahead of ourselves."
Quote of the Day: "He was a little bit of a lad today. He jumped out and I expected him to travel a bit better through the race. I think he is better than he showed there. Look for him to bounce back into the next one."– Jockey Kerrin McEvoy on colt Linebacker, who finished sixth in the Golden Rose after playing up pre-race.
