KEY POINTS:
PERTH - David Hayes claimed his seventh group one race of the season when Niconero took out Saturday's A$500,000 ($575,000) Fruit 'n' Veg Stakes at Ascot.
Runner-up to Divine Madonna in the Emirates Stakes (1600m) and third to Belle Bizarre in last week's Railway Stakes (1600m), Niconero showed his appreciation of an extra 200 metres to beat Scenic Shot by 2 1/4 lengths with Daka's Gem another 1 1/4 lengths third.
The 5-year-old was ridden by Brad Rawiller, who settled him back worse than midfield before making his move in the straight.
The Hayes-trained Confectioner edged stablemate Polar Bear out of fourth place.
Belle Bizarre loomed up at the top of the straight but was found wanting in the final 200m, finishing seventh, 4 1/4 lengths from the winner.
Marasco, who missed out on a start in the Railway, made amends with a barnstorming win in the group three Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) with Damien Oliver aboard.
The 4-year-old has been touted as Western Australia's next superstar and sports the same silks as the great Northerly.
Like Northerly, he is trained by Fred Kersley who plans to bring Marasco to Melbourne in the autumn.
* Gold Edition looks to have next month's A$1 million Magic Millions Trophy at her mercy after reaffirming her standing as the best sprinting filly in the country with a sensational Doomben victory on Saturday.
The Toowoomba tornado, who was back in town after two black-type wins in five days in Melbourne last month, won the Mode Hcp (1200m) in a canter despite carrying a mammoth 61kg.
From her near outside alley Gold Edition, who conceded 8kg to her rivals, shot out of the barriers to lead inside the first 200m before Jim Byrne restrained her in behind free-rolling stablemate, Partygoer.
Byrne never knocked the Lion Hunter filly around and eased her down to score by three-quarters of a length from Sequential Charm with Lasoron a further two lengths away third.
"She was quite fresh today, but she gave me a good feeling. She does feel the heat but she's got a lot of improvement in her," said Byrne.
* The decision to put blinkers on speedy filly Illuminates paid dividends at Wyong yesterday when she gave trainer Graeme Rogerson his second win in the A$100,000 Magic Millions Slipper.
Rogerson won the inaugural running of the 1000m dash with Not A Single Doubt three years ago and Illuminates, one of only three youngsters in the field of nine with race experience, proved too classy for her rivals.
Rogerson was in New Zealand but stable foreman Roger Elliott confirmed Illuminates would now press on to the A$1 million Magic Millions Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast on January 13.
"We thought she should have gone close to winning last start, that's why Graeme decided to put the blinkers on her," Elliott said.
"They seemed to sharpen her up and I'd say she would go to the Gold Coast now."
The two-year-old began well for Zac Purton and settled outside leader Obey Orders before asserting her authority in the straight to score a comfortable 1 1/2 length win over Keiki with favourite Tinikarua another 1 3/4 lengths away third.
- AAP
