Boom Time caused the boilover, but spare a thought for the little Canberra mare Single Gaze. 
Trained by Nick Olive and ridden by Kathy O’Hara, the mare was gallant in defeat.
After drawing barrier 12, O’Hara was forced to make use of her mount early in order to secure a forward position, settling in second place.
It was left to Single Gaze ($31) to take the field up to tearaway leader Sir Isaac Newton. The mare then hit the lead in the straight, but just failed to hold off the late challenge of Boom Time. 
“She went sensational,” said O’Hara, who had just gone agonisingly close to becoming the first female jockey to win a Caulfield Cup. “I honestly thought she was going to win. 
“She gave everything. She’s only small but she tries so hard. 
“She had to do it the tough way and drag the field up.”
Olive said: “That feels like a win. She has run out of her skin — I’m just so proud of her.”
Single Gaze is now likely to push on to the Melbourne Cup.
After her near miss on the Saturday, O’Hara was back in NSW on Sunday for the feature Mollymook Cup (1200m) at Nowra.
Topweight Chief in Command gave a bold sight with his 63kg (after a 3kg claim for apprentice Patrick Scorse), but when O’Hara called on the Jason Coyle-trained $2.15 favourite Kawaikini the mare quickly went to the front to win with ease.
She’s headed south
Goulburn filly She Knows looks set to be thrown in at the deep end following last Saurday’s win in the Class 3 TAB Highway Handicap (1100m) at Randwick. 
Jockey Jay Ford got the three-year-old across from an awkward barrier and quickly settled her outside the leader, Polskie Lady. 
On the turn, the pair stole a break on the field and raced together until the 200 metres, where She Knows surged to the front. 
Although feeling the pinch over the concluding stages, She Knows ($4.40 favourite) had just enough left to hold off the fast-finishing I Am Captain, scoring by a half-neck. 
The win was the second from just four starts for She Knows. 
“Today she began brilliantly,” trainer Danny Williams said after the race. 
“She got a little bit tired late, but we gave her a fortnight off after her last run. 
“She’s doing it on raw ability. She’s got a lot of speed and upside. She’s only a three-year-old filly and she’s come here at 90 per cent. 
“There’s some fillies’ races in Melbourne and even though she’s probably not seasoned enough for them, I’ve always had the view that with fillies you should throw them in the deep end because there’s better opportunities to win black-type races.” 
Studs face anxious wait
Just months after winning a six-year legal battle against the South Drayton open-cut mining proposal in the Hunter Valley, the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association finds itself preparing for yet another battle following the announcement of plans for a new underground mine at the same site. 
“By going underground, we take away the key issues, which are dust and open-cut blasting,” Malabar Coal chairman, Wayne Seabrook told media. 
Not surprisingly, breeders in the area are not impressed with the new proposal. 
“We’re not anti-coal, but there’s a balance in the Hunter. A new mine would tip that balance,” said HTBA vice-president Henry Plumptre, referring to the valley’s thoroughbred, dairy, winemaking and mining industries. 
“There’s no such thing as a clean underground coal mine,” he added. “Even though it’s underground mining, the cumulative impacts on the groundwater and the underground water are going to be massive.” 
Two of Australia’s largest thoroughbred breeding operations, Coolmore and Godolphin, are situated adjacent to the proposed underground mine and would be among those most affected should the proposal go ahead. 
At present the mine’s future is dependent on the NSW government renewing the lease on the Drayton site. In the meantime, the studs face an anxious wait.
Be on Bon
Newcastle trainer Kris Lees took the training honours on his home track last Saturday with a winning treble. 
His most impressive winner was $1.75 favourite Wallangarra, who brought up consecutive wins in claiming the 1850-metre Class 2 with Robert Thompson on board. 
Another winner to impress was the Jason Deamer-trained Bon Amis ($1.70 favourite), who scored a 4¾-length win under Rory Hutchings in the 900-metre Class 2. 
The four-year-old remains unbeaten after three starts.
Big winners love wet
There were several impressive wins at last Saturday’s Narromine meeting but punters’ enthusiasm should probably be tempered by the heavy 10 track on which they were achieved.
Our Dasha ($2 favourite), ridden by Eleanor Webster-Hawes for Derek Piper, displayed plenty of speed in the 900-metre maiden, going straight to the front and scoring by nearly five lengths. 
In the 1600-metre Class 1, the Gayna Williams-trained Foxdown ($2.60 favourite) opened his winning account with a five-length romp. 
In the following race, the Benchmark 53, also over 1600 metres, the in-form Chelsea Ings weaved her way through the field on Quietly Confident ($18) before hitting the front inside the final 100 metres and drawing away to an easy win.