Epsom-bound As Needed clocked a track record in a brilliant return, prompting Sydney's most in-demand jockey James McDonald to joke with trainer Anthony Cummings not to take him off the highly rated gelding.
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Quipped McDonald on returning to scale: "I can stay on him, right?" To which Cummings fired back: "You can, but you're hard to get you know."
But that was the only laughing matter after the lightly tried five-year-old with serious group-race ambitions resumed after three months off in the benchmark-85 second race and lowered Randwick's 1300-metre record to 1:15.43. As Needed ($2.50 into $2) broke Judged's mark of 1:15.54, which had stood since 2009.
"Wow, he's a very smart horse," McDonald said when told about the record. "He just covers the ground so well."
Cummings has enjoyed success with As Needed's new owners, who race Villa Verde and Fontelina with the Randwick horseman.
But As Needed looks every bit as capable of scaling the same group-1 heights, and Cummings is intent on plotting a path to the Epsom Handicap where As Needed, the winner of four from five, would likely get in with a light weight.
"I think that's the logical thing," Cummings said. "He's going to be well down in the weights in the Epsom this year. I think that's probably the logical race for him in the Sydney spring and depending on what his form is [we'll decide on Melbourne].
"Despite his age he's still improving. He was given quite a lot of time by the Gooree team and it's a reflection of what that can do. They elected to sell him and I'm just thankful I had some owners who wanted to pitch up for him."
McDonald stalked the speed of runner-up Society Man ($4.60), and the premiership winner only sparingly used the whip before As Needed ambled to a 1-1/2 length win under hands and heels riding.
You'll Never ($11) whistled home for third after being hampered until the 200m; stewards later chastised apprentice Serg Lisnyy for not opting to hook to the outside at the top of the straight.
The once-promising Rock Hero tailed off to finish last. A wind operation designed to alleviate his breathing problems has seemingly failed to have the desired effect.
"He's gone in the wind and making some horrible noises," jockey Jeff Lloyd said.
But it did little to diminish the effort of As Needed, whose only defeat in five starts came on a bog track at Warwick Farm in April.
"Thankfully he jumped well and he got into a nice spot so there was a bum to follow," Cummings said. "He tucked in behind it [Society Man] and got the rest he needed to finish off."
Hugh Bowman praised the run of Society Man, which finished second for the fourth straight start, but gave an even bigger rap to the winner.
"He's a good, honest horse and he ran a credible race, he just ran into one with a class edge today," Bowman said.
