The John Sargent-trained Casual Connection has likely earned a trip to Queensland following a hard-fought victory in the PF Civil Handicap (2400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
“When he got the ride at Newcastle, he said he wanted to ride the horse a little bit colder. I wasn’t sure if that was the way to ride him, but he seems to know more than the trainer.
The John Sargent-trained Toesonthenose scored the fifth victory of his career when running out a strong winner of a Benchmark 72 Handicap (1600m) at the Newcastle feature meeting on Saturday.
Trainer John Sargent is well-regarded as a master trainer of fillies, and the affable Kiwi expat has a strong contender in Saturday’s Gr.2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington in Harlow Mist.
It was another bumper payday for the connections of former South Island galloper Palmetto who prevailed in a narrow-three-way finish in the A$1 million Five Diamonds Prelude (1500m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Sydney trainer John Sargent is renowned as a master trainer of staying types, and the Kiwi expat unveiled a live VRC Oaks chance when Harlow Mist scored a strong victory in the Kennedy Oaks Preview (1800m) at Flemington on Sunday.
The Chris Gibbs-trained Malfy Rosa has acquitted herself well against the better staying three-year-olds in recent starts to put herself in the mix for the Queensland winter carnival.