New-season five-year-old Sir Now underlined his toughness with victory on a testing rain-affected track at Morphettville in last Saturday’s Group 3 Behemoth Stakes over 1200 metres. 
Sir Now, who started the $4.60 favourite, raced on the pace under Connor Murtagh before heading to the outside fence on straightening, the Sir Prancealot gelding digging deep to hold off Cicala ($6.50) by three-quarters of a length.
Sir Now has established himself as the iron horse of South Australia with seven starts in his current campaign for three wins, three seconds and a Group 3 third in Caulfield’s Sir John Monash Stakes.
He’s not done yet, either, with Karoonda-based Hewitt eyeing the listed W.H. Wylie Handicap (1100m) at Morphettville on September 12 and perhaps the $1 million Golden Saddle (1200m), a slot race at Kalgoorlie on September 3.
The gelding hadn’t won over 1200 metres before last Saturday.
His overall record now stands at 27 starts for 10 wins, 10 minor placings and $518,410 in earnings.
Hewitt described the Behemoth win, the trainer’s maiden Group 3, as “really special” and was full of praise for Sir Now.
The trainer’s last black-type winner was Snoopy Now in the listed Port Adelaide Guineas of April 2025.
He won six listed races with Merlot Now from 2005 to 2008.
A couple for Callow
Comeback jockey Noel Callow followed up a winner on the first day of the season by taking riding honours with a running double at Morphettville last Saturday.
Callow opened his account coming from well back on Regal Ripper ($3.90) in the Class 2 Croser Handicap (1544m) for the Morphettville stable of Phillip and Tommy Stokes.
Callow swooped again to take the following race, the 0-64 Fleurieu Milk Company Handicap (1050m), on Extremely Rowdy ($3.60 favourite) for Will Clarken and Charlotte Sorby.
Pretty good
Local training partners Gordon Richards and Damien Moyle have high ambitions for Barbados filly Pretty Baby after her impressive win in last Saturday’s benchmark 66 Winning Edge Presentations Handicap (1050m).
 Pretty Baby ($4.20) came from near last under apprentice Caitlin Tootell to beat Azytass by 2¼ lengths with a 4¾-length gap to third.
This was Pretty Baby’s first start since her win in the listed Oaklands Plate (1400m) on June 27, which was Tootell’s first stakes success.
All going well, Richards and Moyle will set Pretty Baby on a path to the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield in October.
Bieg bags milestone win
Morphettville trainer Chris Bieg celebrated his 250th career win when Phineas ($7) took out the benchmark 78 Sportsbet Feed Handicap (1600m). 
Phineas came with a decisive run from midfield under Will Price to beat Brave Star by more than half a length, with Victorian-trained favourite Lucky Lucky Boom another 1½ lengths back in third.
Just firing
Strathalbyn trainer Ryan Hannemann looks to have a handy horse on his hands in lightly raced five-year-old Justacclaim, who got up in a tight photo to complete a hat-trick in the benchmark 66 Peter Elberg Funerals Handicap (1200m) at Morphettville.
Anna Jordsjo has been aboard for those three wins, all over the Morphettville 1200 metres.
The grey son of Dark Acclaim now has four wins from eight starts overall.
’Bool supplies Grace brace
Harry Grace took the riding honours at Mount Gambier last Friday with a double, both his winners trained at Grace’s former base in Warrnambool. 
He won on the Tom Dabernig-trained Hellfire Jess ($2.45 equal favourite) in a 900-metre maiden plate and on the Maddie Raymond and Patrick Bell-trained Limosa ($8.50) in a benchmark 56 handicap of 1550 metres.
Quorn to be alive
The Quorn Jockey Club will stage its once-a-year non-TAB meeting this Saturday, highlighted by the benchmark 70 Quorn Cup (1900m), fifth heat of the Outback Cups Series. Quorn is a small town in the Flinders Ranges region, 39km northeast of Port Augusta.