Goulburn trainer Kurt Goldman has Group 1 goals in mind after causing a boilover at Randwick on Saturday with Eckstein ($31) in the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m). 
The mare, ridden by Sam Clipperton, settled well back in the field before coming to the outside in the straight and finishing strongly to nab Dothraki, who had attempted to lead all the way, by a half-neck. 
“It was a good win,” Clipperton said. “We weren’t expecting a lot from her first up but she trialled well in a hot field. 
“The race panned out well for us but I was expecting her to grind home and run a good fourth, not run over the top of them, so it was a great performance. She’s a genuine Group 1 mare without having won one yet. This preparation might be her (chance).” 
Goldman now plans to start the mare in the Guy Walter Stakes in a fortnight before tackling the Group 1 Coolmore Classic at Rosehill on March 16.
Fui fires
Shoalhaven Heads trainer Terry Robinson claimed his ninth TAB Highway Handicap when Fui San ($6.50) took out last Saturday’s edition of the series at Randwick. 
“It’s just about finding the right horses and targeting these races,” he said. “I don’t bring them to these races unless they’ve shown that they are good enough to be very competitive. 
“Fui San has had a couple of cracks at this type of race but he got to 1800 metres today and we were pretty confident that he’d get the job done.” 
Apprentice Robbie Dolan settled Fui San well back in the field before moving forward approaching the turn. In the straight, the five-year-old came down the outside with a strong run to win by short head from Pontmain, with the fast-finishing Tiara Road a further half-neck away in third. 
“My heart was in my mouth. I thought we had it won then thought we’d lost it,” said a relieved Robinson. 
Dolan said Fui San had put in “a great run”.
“I had to expose him sooner than I wanted to but he really knuckled down and hit the line strongly.”
Princess reigns
Kembla Grange training partners Robert and Luke Price caused an upset in the following Randwick race when their mare Curata Princess ($18), ridden by Andrew Adkins, came to the outside in the straight just as the previous winner had done, before sustaining a long run to hit the lead inside the 200-metre mark and hold off odds-on favourite Gayatri to score by a half-length. 
“Everything did go her way, but she tried very hard,” said Adkins.   
Lees waits on weight
Newcastle trainer Kris Lees will target the Newmarket Handicap with In Her Time following the mare’s tough win in the $750,000 Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning at Flemington last Saturday. 
“She’s been knocking on the door to win one of these major Group 1s for a long time,” Lees said. In Her Time’s previous Group 1 win came in last year’s Galaxy. 
“We’ll probably stay for the Newmarket but she’s a dual Group 1 winner so we’ll see what the handicapper gives her,” Lees told media. 
In Her Time, who started a $4.40 second favourite, has now won five of her eight first-up starts but last Saturday’s victory didn’t come easily with the six-year-old just holding off a late challenge by Osborne Bulls to score by a short head, with favourite Sunlight third. 
It was a good weekend for the Lees stable with wins at Canterbury Park on Friday night and Doomben on Saturday in addition to the Lightning win.
San Fran-tastic
Another Newcastle trainer to pick up a feature last weekend was Paul Perry, who won Friday’s Akubra Quirindi Cup (1600m) with $2.70 favourite San Francisco, ridden by Shaun Guymer. 
The four-year-old gave his supporters no cause for concern in recording a comfortable 2¼-length win from Vega De Lago with Melted Moments third.
Earlier on the program, a thrilling finish to the $40,000 1200-metre maiden saw the Paul Messara-trained filly Luna Mia ($2.10 favourite), ridden by Ashley Morgan, defeated Philadora by a short neck. 
Given that there was a 6¼-length gap to the third placegetter, it should pay punters to follow the first two placegetters. 
Another to follow from the Quirindi meeting is the David Smith-trained Bel Diablo, who scored a 3½-length win as $2.35 favourite in the 1200-metre Class 2, with Jake Pracey-Holmes in the saddle.
Bushies’ big night
Non-metro trainers had a good night out at Canterbury Park last Friday.
Canberra galloper Handle The Truth, trained by Keith Dryden and Scott Collings and ridden by apprentice Billy Owen, took out the 1200-metre benchmark 70, before It’s So Obvious, trained at Gosford by Greg McFarlane and ridden by James McDonald, claimed the 1100-metre benchmark 76.
Earlier Kris Lees had won the first on the program with Lady of Shalott.
Cups round-up
There was plenty of silverware on offer around the state last Saturday.
The Balranald Cup went to Zagaya, trained by Nathan Hobson and ridden by Michael Heagney. 
The Tumut Cup was won by Mossy Girl, trained by Joe Cleary and ridden by Michael Travers, while Bedgerabong Picnic Cup was won by Wallartant, trained by Justin W. Stanley and ridden by John Watson.
All three cups were over 1400 metres.
Belle chimes in
Highlight of NSW racing last Sunday was the Port Maquarie Race Club’s Country Championship Qualifier, won by the Wayne Wilkes-trained Taree mare Lucciola Belle, ridden by Andrew Gibbons.  
Gibbons, who earlier in the week had registered his 1000th winner as a jockey, went into the qualifier very confident, telling media that the $11 pop was “a massive chance” in the $150,000 Class 5.
Earlier in the day, the $40,000 maiden (1500m) was won by Onemore Sapphire ($21), trained at Tuncurry by Terry Evans and ridden by Chris O’Brien.