KEY POINTS:
Early on Saturday Noel Harris was asked by broadcaster Des Coppins what his career-best rides were.
Harris took it seriously and compiled a few of them between races.
As he was pulling up after Race 9, the $120,000 Gasmate Stakes, Harris said to himself: "Actually, that wasn't a bad one."
It was an awful lot better than not a bad one.
Harris blew away the opposition on Sarajay with a 10 from every judge from coming down the rail and grabbing a win that would not have been possible had he gone around one more horse.
Harris went into the talent-laden race with a definite mindset.
"Every time I've tried to ride this mare cute she's got into trouble. I decided to ride her dead cold and look for luck late."
Fortunately, it arrived.
On the home bend Harris knew the game was up if he tried to go around the field, so he waited.
Eventually, the run came and Sarajay dived through just in time to hold out the brilliant finish from stablemate Everswindell, who had been back with Sarajay on the bend and came to the outside instead of looking for luck.
It was a 1,2,4 result to Matamata trainer John Sargent with Penny Florence finishing fourth after looking a winning chance at the 200m.
Sarajay is in foal to Zabeel and will have her final start for owner Adrian Clark in the $200,000 Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
* Kenny Rae has done a marvellous job with Saturday's $120,000 Waikato Times Gold Cup winner Mirkola Lass.
With $294,000 already in the bin, the tough mare has the chance to be a huge winner by the end of summer.
Rae is right that weight will eventually stop Mirkola Lass, but while sticking to these high-profile races she has the potential to win a couple more.
Rae was asked for his ultimate dream race for the mare.
"The Melbourne Cup.
"Why not have a crack?"
* Saturday's relegation of Easy On The Eye has decked plans trainer Adrian McNamee had for the horse.
McNamee was looking at the group one Telegraph at Trentham late next month, but feels he'll now be lucky to make the field.
"My only chance now is to win a race at Ellerslie over the carnival and there are some nice races there for him, but I don't really want to take him there because he's probably not at his best going right-handed.
"I took him to Brisbane and he didn't take to right-handed racing that well."
Easy On The Eye looked a coming topline sprinter getting past the opposition in the home straight under 57kg.
The tragedy in the relegation is that Jason Waddell rode a beautiful race from a wide gate to cover no extra ground, cut the home corner then bring him along at the right time.
* There was so much action in every race it's difficult to record it all.
First, there was the performance of the Waikato Racing Club to turn on one of the most fun racedays of recent years.
The crowd and the atmosphere were reminiscent of the halcyon days of the industry.
Then there was a superb effort by juvenile San Bernadino, who is starting to shape up as one of the best around.
He is a real little bull with more than a touch of class and, according to co-trainer Garry Newham, is lovely and quiet to work with.
That temperament will stand by San Bernadino as he heads to the Karaka Millions.
Terrific front-running effort by Martini Red to win highlighted the depth of 3-year-old filly talent.
On the same day as Insouciant ran them ragged in the $80,000 Eulogy Stakes at Awapuni, we had Martini Red, Lovetrista, Crossyourheart and Ann Bek all fighting out a finish with the colt Abbey Way turning in a real eye-catcher to be alongside after giving them a start from the 350m.
Martini Red is still in the Railway at Ellerslie and would make a fascinating contribution to a race that is shaping up well, despite her obvious lack of ringcraft at the top level.
