It may have been a day where 43,800 trackside patrons thunderously cheered for idol mare Winx at her final race start at Randwick on Saturday, but for longtime Hawkesbury breeder and conditioner Bernie Kelly it was much more.
The trainer, who has three horses in his stable, secured the biggest win of his career when home-bred galloper Bobbing flew down the middle of the track to take the $500,000 Provincial Championships Final.
Bernie along with wife Anne, foaled and reared Bobbing from their former home of Forest Lodge, a small holding on the outskirts of North Richmond.
"It's all about Bernie, I just barrack from the sidelines," his wife Anne said after the race.
A five-year-old by ill-fated Redoute's Choice sire Beneteau, the gelding defeated Dubbo bred, but Kim Waugh Wyong prepared Spring Charlie by a long neck, with the Kris Lees trained Chalmers third.
"Even though it is not a black type (race), I'll take the half mil," Bernie said.
But Winx mania ruled the 10-race program, the racecourse dubbed "Randwinx" for the day.
The sell-out crowd crammed any vantage spot, even those who could not gain track entrance lined Alison Road watching the living phenomenon's race career end.
Corumbene Stud highlights Dunedoo
It did not take long for the first million-dollar yearlings to appear at Inglis' Australian Easter Yearling Sale at Warwick Farm.
George Altomonte's Corumbene Stud at Dunedoo achieved the top price, when his home-bred flashy chestnut colt by Arrowfield Stud's champion Snitzel fetched $2.8 million.
Selling to Sydney bloodstock agent James Harron, the colt was from Corumbene's bred and raced stakes winning mare Ichihara.
The only other $2m plus youngster also appeared on the first day of the two-day auction, when a colt by Coolmore Stud's Fastnet Rock fetched $2.3m. Selling via Segenhoe Stud, Scone, the colt was produced from Legally Bay, which made him a full-brother to Melbourne and Royal Ascot, England, Group 1 winner Merchant Navy.
Buyers spent a total of $122.235m to record its second-best Easter Yearling Sale, behind only the 2008 phenomenon. The average price was $356,372 for the 343 lots sold, with a clearance rate of 84 per cent.
While 19 youngsters fetched $1m or more, which represented 11 different stallions. Arrowfield's recently deceased iconic champion sire Redoute's Choice attracted two seven figure sales.
Three of Redoute's Choice handlers from Arrowfield including Adam Shankley, Mitchell Ralph and Jarryd Stennett were among the huge team of people at the sale caring for the farm's 52 sale lots, and which included some of the Danehill sire's colts and fillies.
Jarryd Stennett, who has been with Arrowfield since 2011, worked with Redoute's Choice in Scone, as well as a stud season in France.
"He was such a big name horse, one that I followed when I was at school as a kid, so it was a bit of a dream to work with a horse like Redoute's Choice," Jarryd said.
"So to get the opportunity to work with the horse (Redoute's Choice) and take him to France was pretty unbelievable."
The Chairman's Broodmares next
The Inglis Chairman's Sale has gained momentum with 53 star studded catalogued mares to be offered at its Riverside Stables on Friday May 3 from 6.30pm.
In foal to I Am Invincible, the seven-year-old Maastricht is among the star lots, and who is the dam of a Group 3 winner as well as producing Loving Gaby, fourth placegetter in this year's $3.5m Golden Slipper Stakes-G1.
Other star mares on offer includes dual Group 1 winner Srikandi (in foal to American Pharoah), Group 1 winner Aloisia, and Group 1 placed and Group 2 winner Snitty Kitty.
The luminaries continue the sale, including Norzita (in foal to Snitzel), Now Now (dam of Group 2 winning millionaire Fiesta) and in foal to Pierro, and Group 1 placed Spright (in foal to I Am Invincible).
The auction will begin with the sale of a nomination to Widden Stud's hot new first season sire, Trapeze Artist (a four-time G1 winner by Snitzel) for the 2019 Australian breeding season, with all proceeds being donated to injured jockey Tye Angland.