Aided by unusually good weather and an air of optimism about the future, Sydney racing reclaimed the autumn in style.
The carnival ended on Saturday on a high with the celebration of the country’s best two-year-old, the affirmation of a new star and the confirmation of an established one.
Pierro cemented the two-year-old triple crown with victory in the Champagne Stakes, Atlantic Jewel won her first test against all comers in the All Aged Stakes and More Joyous stood up to be counted over 2000 metres in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Concerns in early March about the wisdom of holding premier race meetings on a building site proved unfounded as Randwick rose to the occasion albeit with limited capacity.
A $150 million redevelopment of the facility now gets underway in earnest and much will be completed by the 2013 autumn.
The Australian Turf Club formed by the merger of Sydney’s two race clubs is now a year old and seems past its teething problems while the administrative body, Racing NSW, has a new lease of life with its High Court win over rights fees.
But front and centre as always it is the horses jockeys and trainers the public want to see.
And no-one attracts attention like Gai Waterhouse who once again came into her own.
Sydney is her town and she proved it with seven Group One trophies from the 19 on offer including the biggest prize of all, the Golden Slipper.
In October, the trainer predicted a debut winner called Pierro would win the Slipper, the world’s richest race for two-year-olds.
On a sunny day at Rosehill in April he did just that, beating bonny filly Snitzerland and Blue Diamond Stakes winner Samaready.
He came up against Black Caviar’s little brother All Too Hard in the Sires’ Produce and made it look all too easy.
Unbeaten after five starts going into the Champagne, the son of champion Lonhro started favourite for just the second time in his career and strode into history as just the sixth triple crown winner.
“He is outstanding and I am really privileged to get a horse like this,” Waterhouse said.
“He is very special.”
Pierro is already being talked of as a Cox Plate chance and his stablemate More Joyous put her claims on the line with her Queen Elizabeth win which gave her a Group One treble after wins in the Queen Of The Turf and the Doncaster Mile.
The Doncaster brought up another milestone for Waterhouse who equalled the training record of her father, the late TJ Smith, with her seventh victory.
Unbeaten Melbourne filly Atlantic Jewel is another being talked of for the Cox Plate along with Mosheen who plundered two Sydney Group Ones, the Randwick Guineas and the Vinery Stud Stakes.
Atlantic Jewel’s trainer Mark Kavanagh found it hard to express his feelings after the filly came back from an injury suffered in the spring to prove herself in the Group Two Sapphire Stakes as well as the All Aged.
The Sydney autumn was without Black Caviar but her trainer Peter Moody made his presence felt with imported stayer Manighar who added the weight-for-age double of the Ranvet Stakes and BMW to his Australian Cup win at Flemington.
Premier Sydney trainer Chris Waller won the Chipping Norton Stakes with Shoot Out then claimed his third successive George Ryder Stakes with comeback galloper Metal Bender.
While the stars now get ready to do battle in the Melbourne spring, there is plenty to look forward this time next year.
