Trainer Matthew Dale is certain to have at least one runner during The Championships after Rom Baro continued a winning streak in the Canberra Guineas.
Dale was acclaimed for his horsemanship after Rom Baro made a leap into stakes racing with a resolute win in Sunday's Listed event.
Rom Baro went into the Guineas as a six-length winner of a lead-up race but Dale made a gear switch to give the three-year-old his best chance of coping with the rise in class.
"It was a brave decision from Matt to take the blinkers off a horse which has just won by six lengths but it was the right thing to do," jockey Jay Ford said.
Instead, Rom Baro raced in a set of winkers which do not restrict a horse's view as much as blinkers and Ford said the change was a masterstroke.
"Matt thought that if the horse was going to measure up against better opposition he couldn't afford to race as a fiercely as he has been," Ford said.
"And it worked because he was as a quiet as a lamb for me." Mr Bogart reached the front at the 200m but he failed to run out a strong 1400m, allowing Rom Baro to regain the lead and set himself up for a start during The Championships at Randwick next month.
"I think the Carbine Club Stakes is a race that will really suit him," Dale said.
Dale is also hoping to qualify a runner for the Country Championships when Royal Jackpot takes his place in a heat at Goulburn later this month.
Kurt Goldman tasted feature race success for the first time for a high-profile syndicate when Faust turned out to be the best stayer in the Canberra Cup.
Goldman trains for a high-powered group of owners including former Wallabies Alan Cardy and Simon Poidevin and has been in the job for less than a year.
Like the Guineas winner, Faust was headed in the straight but jockey Sam Clipperton said there was never a need for him to panic.
"Actually I was very confident because I know that Burbero has only that short, sharp dash," Clipperton said.