KEY POINTS:
Graeme Rogerson says it's not a given that Saturday's Galaxy Stakes winner at Trentham, Vegas Showgirl, will head to the Queensland winter carnival.
There is a possibility Vegas Showgirl will take on the A$500,000 ($560,000) group-one Winter Stakes towards the end of the carnival, but Rogerson said a
decision will be made after he has spoken with the Tauranga-based syndicate of owners.
"She could go to the listed race at Tauranga then wait for Melbourne in the spring.
"I'll let the owners share in that decision."
Vegas Showgirl came from last to run past what was less than a classic line-up of mares, but the effort was better than that.
Trentham's uneven surface made it difficult for horses to make significant ground late on Saturday and Vegas Showgirl managed it well.
"She's a good mare - she's won a stakes race in each of her seasons," said Rogerson, home from Sydney for a few days before he returns to Australia for the Magic Millions sale on Wednesday.
There was a surprise Autridge/Rogerson stable member at Trentham on Saturday - Vegas Showgirl was strapped by top jockey Opie Bosson, who is helping out at the stable after announcing last week he was taking time out from race riding to allow his weight to stabilise.
"Stephen [Autridge] is like a godfather to Opie and has been helping him out," said Rogerson.
Rogerson was at Ellerslie to see stable runner Russian Conquest take the $50,000 Sharp Foal Stakes under Cameron Lammas.
The Matamata jockey was lucky to escape serious eye injury when hit by a flying plate high on the bridge of his nose at the 600m.
"It stunned me for a few moments," Lammas admitted.
In the grandstand Rogerson wondered why Lammas was disobeying instructions.
"I told him to come to the outside in the home straight and he went inside.
"I didn't know he'd been hit in the head or that he'd decided to go inside Yao when the other horse started running out sharply."
Yao may have produced far and away the run of the race, but Russian Conquest fought strongly to the line and clearly has a future.
The Foal Stakes are likely to prove to be a very strong form guide. Tief came from a clear last at the 700m to finish third and there was plenty to like about Prince Kaapstad finishing fourth after sitting wide.
La Rendezvous made ground after getting back and being forced very wide on the home bend, from where very few horses figured on the day.
One horse from Saturday that is almost certain to head to Australia is distance winner Twinkling.
The well-bred Cambridge mare had experienced some bad luck and rider Rogan Norvall was under instructions from co-trainer Royce Dowling to jump out this time and sit on the pace. Twinkling trailed, got an inside gap and drove ahead.
Dowling said he was looking at some Sydney staying races with the mare through the winter.
One for the future to show up at Trentham was Indikator, from Keith Opie's Te Aroha stable. He won the Rugby Racing and Brunch At Trax 1600m for 3-year-olds by 3 1/4 lengths from Ivadaad and Casual.