Also that Avantage deserves a decent break after achieving so much, Karaka Million and Sires Produce glory.
Avantage's price shortened in when it became obvious after the first half of the programme that the inside part of the track was more affected by midweek rain than the middle lanes and that stablemate Sword Of Osman was probably not going to manage well.
Troy Harris replaced Opie Bosson, who could not make the weight, and came back in and said the youngster needs better ground. Melt found her form again after being hampered by the very firm Ellerslie surface in the Sistema. She finished strongly into second, but never threatened the winner.
• There is no doubt jockeys become accustomed to riding with parallel ability to those they ride against.
Take Michael Dee. He has gone up two levels since he moved from the lower North Island to Melbourne to ride for Mick Price. The class of Damian Oliver, Craig Williams, Dwayne Dunn and the like that Dee has been riding against has been a huge factor and Price himself would have been adding his sage advice.
Price was not afraid to trust Dee with the Group 1 task on Hiyaam in the A$500,000 Vinery at Rosehill on Saturday and was rewarded with a 10 out of 10 ride.
Dee decided to lead and rated the New Zealand-bred High Chaparral filly so well in front nothing came up to eyeball the pair and they won untested. She will be difficult to beat in the Oaks on that run, so powerful was she through the line.
Dee is only one of a group of New Zealand jockeys that have improved their riding by re-locating to Australia. Damien Browne, Daniel Stackhouse, Jarrod Fry, Bridget Grylls and many more ride winners week after week in Australia.
• The Baker/Forsman team will have four runners in Saturday's A$2 million Australian Derby to try to further its already remarkable record in the classic.
Weather With You and Mongolian Marshal, third and fourth in Saturday's Tulloch Stakes, will be joined by Vin De Dance and Mission Hill. Weather With You was huge. As usual he missed the start just fractionally and Jason Collett cleverly used the entire 350m run to the first bend at Rosehill to take up the running.
For a horse who Murray Baker says is one race behind in his Derby preparation, Weather With You fought back strongly when headed in the home straight and was beaten only a head and a neck.
"Jason thought it was a hell of run," said Baker. Mongolian Marshal looked to have every chance, battling into fourth after trailing the speed on the rail, but did almost exactly what Baker suspected. "He hadn't raced for a month and we knew he'd probably be a bit vulnerable late. He'll improve with that." Jason Collett and Craig Williams retain the ride on Saturday's pair, Jason Waddell will be re-united with Vin De Dance after suspension and Damian Lane will be back on Mission Hill.
Vodafone Derby placegetter Danzdanzdance (Michael Walker) faded after sitting outside the lead in the Vinery after breaking out in a heavy sweat behind the barriers.
"Michael came in and said she simply wouldn't settle when there was no pace on. She pulled hard and there was no way she could have finished it off," said trainer Chris Gibbs.
He said the team would press on towards the Australian Oaks, the run depending on how the filly recovers from this latest run.