Yorkshire shows toughness and class to put Doncaster in his sights

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“We were probably going to bounce back, but whether we were going to get to a grand final four weeks later, and able to produce a performance like that was probably up for debate.

“He’s wandering around up the running there, I think there’s more upside, which is obviously the key.”

He said the win was “very special” given Yorkshire, a $575,000 yearling, had overcome setbacks as a young horse.

“He’s had a few setbacks along the way and he’s just got the best demeanour to be able to handle those things,” he said.

“Heart arrhythmia four weeks ago, and we were on the back foot, we were behind the eight-ball there in terms of his fitness. And only some horses can do that.”

Lloyd made it a feature double in the next, the listed Razor Sharp Handicap (1200m), taking Pride-trained Weeping Woman through a gap for a half-length win over stablemate Coal Crusher.

Lloyd made it a treble overall on the day with Theblade ($2.80) in the last.

Bargain buy revives battling trainer

Where’s The Circus, a $1250 online buy, was among “a last crack” at buying two-year-olds and rebuilding a stable for battling Kembla trainer Paul Murray in September.

Murray now looks likely to have a few more cracks after the filly delivered a career-reviving fairytale win in the $400,000 Inglis Nursery (1000m) on Saturday at Randwick.

Up against the likes of $1.2 million Coolmore colt Vatican, the $51 TAB chance, which was as much as $201 in early markets, bounced to the lead on debut under jockey Jean Van Overmeire from gate four and was never headed, holding off favourite Internal Affairs by one-and-a-quarter lengths.

It was among Murray’s biggest wins, but just his second this season, and came at a time he was weighing up his future in the game.

Where’s the Circus (left) pulled off a fairytale win at Randwick on Saturday.

“It is getting very hard, and I only had a handful of horses,” Murray, the son late trainer Bede Murray.

“I had to get rid of all the older horses, and I just had one crack at having a go at getting a few nice two-year-olds, and it looks like it’s going to pay off.”

Murray said the Trapeze Artist filly would go for a spell and not contest the Inglis Millennium.

Where’s The Circus is out of the same mare, Misplaced, which produced Can’t Find Snippy, a filly Bede Murray trained to third in the 2016 Inglis Classic. It was the same year Bede died.

“I said to Mum [Edie], this is our last crack at it, we’ll buy some two-year-olds this year,” said Paul, who recently retired his best horse, Welcometobarbados, a $900 buy.

“We’ve worked hard for them, and we might have another few years yet.

“As you know, it is a hard game and for the battlers, so it’s really good. Hopefully she keeps going.”

Van Overmeire’s win was soured by a three-meeting careless riding suspension for shifting in on Regal Hustle near the 600m mark. He is out from December 23 to 29.

Chris Waller-trained Billecart Blue provided drama before the race, rearing up and becoming cast in the gates. The race was delayed to extract the filly, which was scratched.

Hyeronimus gets best out of veteran

A perfectly rated front-running ride from Adam Hyeronimus in the listed Christmas Cup (2400m) helped eight-year-old Future History score his first win in 14 months on Saturday at Randwick.

The Ciaron Maher-trained stayer, a Melbourne Cup runner in 2023, led and controlled the pace, which Hyeronimus gradually increased before the $5 hope was strong late to beat Asterix by a long head.

“That was a lovely ride, it’s just how he needs to be ridden,” Maher assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord said.

“He’s an unusual kind of horse. He’s got that big action, he’s fairly casual, once he gets to the front, he’ll prick his ears. You just have to get him going, rev him up early enough, and he will stay.”

It gave Maher a double after Axius produced a stunning finish to win the 1200m benchmark 78 under Nash Rawiller. Axius, now headed to the Magic Millions Rising Stars 3YO & 4YO Class 4 Plate on January 10 on the Gold Coast, made up a length on Snack Bar in the last 50m to win by a nose.

Widdup mare on the rise

Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup will weigh up a shot at the group 3 Belle Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Gosford on December 28 with Hyperbolic after she cruised to successive Saturday wins in town.

The four-year-old Proisir mare started a $2.90 favourite in opener at Randwick and looked the goods throughout after Tommy Berry put her just behind the leaders before she let down well to win the 1600m benchmark 78 by three quarters of a length from Bella Montagna. She won in similar style two weeks earlier at Rosehill in a 1400m fillies and mares 78.