On the day the VRC carnival ended with its three Group 1 designated Champions races, it was Australian racing's elite - trainers, jockeys and horses - who came to the fore.
Sydney superstar James McDonald once again displayed his exact sense of timing - not to mention his flair for the dramatic - with last gasp victories aboard Sunshine in Paris in the Champions Sprint for Annabel Neasham, having earlier scored in the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes on the Chris Waller trained Hinged, both horses getting up in the final strides to snatch victory.
It was a far easier assignment in the final Group 1, the Champion Stakes, aboard the runaway Cox Plate winner Via Sistina, who showed her record-breaking Moonee Valley was not a one-off when she powered to an eased down triumph from her Chris Waller trained stablemate Atishu.
These winners helped McDonald to a record haul of 11 for the week when he saluted in the last race on Pisanello, breaking the record he set back in 2021.
The irrepressible Craig Williams and his faithful partner Mr Brightside, a duo which has enjoyed so many top level successes, added another elite victory to their tally when they landed the spoils in a thrilling Champions Mile for the Hayes brothers training team, seeing off the challenge of Mark Zahra and Antino and McDonald and Fangirl.
The Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald-trained mare Sunshine in Paris showed plenty of fight as well as ability in the Champions Sprint, getting up in the last strides to deny the outsider Right to Party, with The Everest winner Bella Nipotina in third third.
''It was an amazing ride by James. She’s just got such a strong finish. It was just waiting for that gap, but we had the right man on board,'' said Neasham.
''I’m so grateful to John Camilleri. Obviously he purchased her when I was already training her and there was no guarantee she was coming back to me. So to put her back in our stable and give us the faith with her, I’m just glad we can repay him. And it’s amazing for Rob as well, his first Group One winner''
Sunshine In Paris, a daughter of Invader, cost Camilleri $3.9 million through bloodstock agent James Harron, at last year’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
Via Sistina, similarly an expensive purchase having cost 2.7 million guineas for Yulong last year, had amazed pundits and ratings analysts with her extraordinary Cox Plate triumph, an eight-length saunter in which she beat the legendary Winx's course record.
McDonald never had a moment's concern as the Yulong-owned mare travelled sweetly through the Champions Stakes midfield behind her pace setting owner mate Deny Knowledge before hitting the front in the Flemington straight to win as she liked.
''Everything went beautifully to plan and I had the horse to give me a smooth ride. I let her go and she will do the rest. She's just coming into her own, she thrives on work,'' McDonald said.
Punters had kept the faith in Horse of the Year Pride of Jenni despite her Cox Plate blow out and she went off favourite for the Champions Mile with new rider Ben Melham in the saddle, owner Tony Ottobre deciding during the week to replace her regular partner Declan Bates.
But the ploy failed to work as Pride Of Jenni, after getting to the lead, faded tamely in the straight and was never a factor in a thrilling contest in which Williams and Mr Brightside once again proved too good for their rivals in a top class 1600 metre race.
It was Mr Brightside’s eighth Group One victory, and Williams, not surprisingly, loves a horse on whom, he said, he had won more races than any other.
''Ever since he came over and had his second race start here in Australia and his third ever race start and I partnered up with him, we’ve had an amazing association,” Williams said.
Melham had been a focus leading into the day, and it had begun in such promising style for him with two victories in the opening three races.
The first came on the unraced two year old Within The Law, for Sydney trainer Bjorn Baker, who took out the $500,000 Inglis Banner for Yulong sire Lucky Vega,
Melham brought up his own double when he made all the running at a farcically slow tempo to land the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Ciaron Maher's Smokin' Romans.
Ottobre announced after the Champions Mile that Pride Of Jenni would be retired with immediate effect. He indicated he wanted to send the multiple Group 1 winner to Japanese hero Equinox for her first mating.
