The three two-year-old’s that were defeated by Tassort shouldn’t be given up on, though. Michael Walker feared Gerald Ryan’s Cardiff may have felt the hard track to go with his poor racing manners.

“I was on one rein the whole way and he hung out,” Walker told stewards. “I got him around the corner and went for him and he was gone. He was slowing down over the last 200m.” Kerrin McEvoy said Jonah would come back much better next time in.

*****

Golden Slipper winner Estijaab is back in light work for Team Hawkes and she’s looking great.

McDonald’s winning reply

Racing NSW steward Marc Van Gestel called James McDonald into the stewards’ room to ask why favourite Deity (seventh) didn’t finish off the sixth race so well but the champion hoop was more forgiving of her.

“I thought she was pretty good,” he said. “I had horses all around me and had nowhere to go. If I was where the winner (Kool Vinnie) was I think I would’ve won.”

*****

The punter who plonked $1000 at $19 on Kool Vinnie must have plenty of faith. The horse is good but has been the most luckless runner in Sydney this year.

Weight is right for Racing NSW

Racing NSW is now putting on the ‘probable weight’ horses will carry next to the weights column on its website, which is a good thing. Some of it’s to do with steward permitting riders to ride overweight at a number of meetings each week these days.

High Bridge below par

At the inquiry into High Bridge’s performance in the City Tattersalls Cup at Randwick on October 20, where he was beaten as favourite by stablemate Exoteric, stewards found that there were no betting issues surrounding the race. High Bridge simply struggled to repeat past performances at the end of his preparation.

Zodiac caught stargazing

Goodwood Zodiac ran last to Sky Boy over 1800m at Rosehill Gardens and Tim Clark said he wasn’t the nicest horse to ride but gave stewards his thoughts on the Gai Waterhouse/Adrian Bott-trained horse in the stewards’ room. “I think he wants to go up to 2400m quickly and the Saturday grade is a bit strong for him,” he said. Maybe look to back him at the midweeks if he pops up there.

*****

Watch out for Tye Angland at Sha Tin on Sunday. He’s picked up seven rides at his first meeting in the little stint he’s having over there.

Winx nark changes his bark

The man who questioned Winx’s greatness, Matt Chapman, appeared on TV at Hexham Racecourse in England during the week wearing her hat which he took home as a souvenir after watching her easily win her fourth Cox Plate last month.

*****

If the Doomben track could talk it would say ‘thank God’ after hearing news the Eagle Farm could be hosting race meetings before Christmas.

HORSES TO FOLLOW: Sir Bacchus (fine return), Sweet Scandal (should’ve won), Nothin’ Like Harry (luckless).

ONES TO SACK: Short (not up to Highway grade), Passage Of Time (his fresh runs are normally his best).

RIDE OF THE DAY: Kerrin McEvoy on Rapture Miss (the best rider of 200m-plus horses in the land).

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “He’s not a Rosehill horse. He was nice about it though. He said ‘thanks, but no thanks’,” said Kathy O’Hara about Noble Joey.