A look at some of the other angles from the Chelmsford Stakes meeting at Randwick.
Improving gelding a Star for Davies
The Provincial-Midway Championships could emerge as a long-term goal for the Angela Davies-trained Denman Star, pending whether he adds to his winning record over the coming months.
The gelding notched his fifth career success in Saturday's Midway Handicap (1400m) and next year's Championships qualifiers are restricted to horses who have won five races or less.
If he improves his strikerate between now and then, Denman Star will become ineligible but if he doesn't, Davies hasn't ruled out chasing her second Provincial-Midway Championships Final (1400m) crown after taking out the race in 2020 with another backmarker in Through The Cracks.
"It depends how many races he has won but a Provincial Championships might not be out of his (grasp)," Davies said.
"I won one with Through The Cracks, who got to last that day, and this horse could do a similar thing. I'm toying with the idea anyway of maybe looking at that."
Denman Star joined Davies' Gosford team last year having won one of his 11 starts and has since raced eight times for four victories.
She is keen to keep his in work while he is racing well and will look to step him up in journey at his next start.
"If we can find a 1500 or a mile we might try him while he's fit and see how he goes," she said.
"James (McDonald) just said he still had plenty in hand. He was only just starting to get to his top."
Magnificent win puts Smart entire in 'Kosi' mix
The timing could not have been much better for So Magnificent to give trainer Todd Smart his first Highway Handicap (1200m) win at Randwick, just days before the Kosciuszko sweepstake is drawn.
So Magnificent ($8), who has now won four of his five starts, put himself in the frame for a slot in with a dominant 1-1/4 length win over Zumbo ($7) on Saturday.
Smart is hoping the entire has done enough to be seriously considered for the $2 million contest on October 18 and says he will strip much fitter for his first-up run.
"I'm so happy. If he can't get a 'Kosi' spot on that…. he's just going to get better. He's a big, gross stallion now that just needed a run," Smart said.
"If we get a spot we'd probably just trial into it and see what happened."
The sweepstake for the Kosciuszko will be conducted on Wednesday with those drawn out becoming slot holders who can choose a horse to represent them in the race.
McDonald outfoxes Cup rivals
A five-horse race turned into one of the spectacle's of the day when James Mcdonald adopted catch-me-if-you-can tactics aboard Changingoftheguard in the Listed City Tattersall's Club Cup (2400m) to lead his rivals a merry dance.
Stringing the field out, McDonald took the gelding to a significant mid-race lead, extending his advantage before the corner and daring Zac Lloyd on odds-on favourite Travolta to run him down.
The latter launched a serious challenge in the straight and briefly looked as though he may reel in Changingoftheguard ($4.20) but the import kicked strongly to hold on and deny him by three-quarters of a length in a thrilling battle.
That pair streeted the rest with Muktamil ($5.50) best of the chasers, another 9-1/4 lengths in arrears.
"It was good to watch," winning trainer Kris Lees said.
"That was always the plan, to try to make it as genuine a staying test as we could and he still came home in 35.45 (seconds) so he was rated so well. He was able to get a gap on them on the corner and hold them off."
Less will see how Changingoftheguard comes through the run but is keen to target him towards next month's Group 1 Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick and beyond that, the Melbourne Cup (3200m).
"There are a lot of options for him. He possibly goes four weeks to a Metropolitan but we will keep everything open at this stage," he said.
Bott earmarks Cox Plate start for Sir Delius
Lindermann took out the Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick but there were few happier people post-race than Adrian Bott, co-trainer of placegetters Sir Delius and Vauban.
Sir Delius stormed home to go down by a head while Vauban finished another two lengths away third and with both prominent in Melbourne Cup markets, Bott was thrilled with their respective returns.
"Great return, particularly from Sir Delius. He showed his class there and I loved the way he quickened and chased," Bott said.
"I think he will feature in a lot of those lead-ups towards the Cup. Which feature lead-ups I guess we've got more of an idea after today but he's potentially a Cox Plate type of horse for us off that run."
Bott said Vauban was more dour and likely to head to the first Tuesday in November via the Caulfield Cup (2400m).
"Vauban, he's that little bit more of an out-and-out stayer so he will be on a path towards the Caulfield Cup through to the Melbourne Cup," he said.
"He was just left a little bit flat-footed today in the run but he was excellent working home through the line."
Quote of the Day: "Coming to the corner I thought we were home, then I thought we were gone, then I knew the last hundred he was going to hold him off. All the emotions." – Trainer Kris Lees on whether he thought Changingoftheguard would hold on and win after racing to a big lead.
