"That was a surprise because she has done it on her own really," Snowden said. "We were thinking Brisbane with her and she will go through Hawkesbury and Scone before that. There are a nice series of races there for her."

Dublin Lass will head to the Darley Crown in a fortnight before the Dark Jewel Classic at Scone.

"A mare like her becoming black type is very important for her value after racing and we think she can get to that level," Snowden said.

It was a bad start for favourite backers as Private Secretary never got into the race after settling near the tail. "She didn't have the dash she has had at her first two [starts]," jockey Christian Reith said. "I was disappointed, I thought she was entitled to go past a few more than she did."

In the diver's seat

Hi World led his rivals a merry dance in the Frank Packer Plate – as expected – but Peter Moody revealed something a little less expected when asked about Kerrin McEvoy's front-running tactics. "I drive a Corolla and he drives a Mercedes," Moody said. "He makes the decisions."

And now the ball will be back in the trainer's court as he plots a path for Hi World, bound for the paddock on Monday, in the spring. The colt, which won the Carbine Club also at group 3 level last start, never gave his supporters cause for concern after beginning smartly and safely holding off the brief challenges of Wine Tales and Merion in the straight.

"Some might say it is a weak Frank Packer, but he still had to do the job," McEvoy said. "He was up in distance and the gear change [blinkers off] worked nicely. He will probably stay further [than 2000 metres]. He relaxed really well today and he wasn't stopping."

Sweet success

Jason Coyle is thinking the Myer Classic might be the race for Slightly Sweet after she capped her autumn campaign by winning the JB Carr Stakes. A big drifter in betting, Slightly Sweet lived up to her Keith Nolan Classic win, showing a good turn of foot despite coming back from 2000m to 1400m.

"She has had form around all the good fillies and held her own against them," Coyle said. "She was good [running placings] in the Light Fingers [Stakes] and Surround [Stakes] and last time in the Vinery she just wasn't seasoned for the tough 2000m. I think seven [furlongs, 1400m] to a mile will be her best trip and there [are] some nice races for her at those trips in spring. She is going for a spell and [will] mature a bit more and I'm sure we will see a better mare in the spring."

Terravista disappointment

Hugh Bowman was at a loss to explain Terravista's flop in the All Aged Stakes after jumping from the saddle even before the group 1 winner had returned to the Theatre Of The Horse. Terravista laboured in the straight to beat only one horse home after dipping slightly at the 450-metre mark as Dissident all but sealed Australian Horse Of The Year honours with his fourth group 1 win for the season.

"To me there's obviously something wrong with him, but it's not obvious what it is," Bowman said. "I couldn't fault his action. He stopped under me. I didn't want to hit him because I was out of business, but for the sake of doing my job I gave him one. He may not be a seven-furlong horse, but on his best form with the run I had he would have put them away."

Grandstand change

The Stables, the exclusive club at the top of the Randwick grandstand, will be taken over by the Australian Turf Club and become another area for members on raceday. The club will keep a VIP area for those who joined The Stables at a cost $1400.