Convener turned his form around in dramatic style at Caulfield to earn himself a possible stakes tilt.The French-bred son of Almanzor had gone winless for 16 months before he produced a stirring finish over 1800 metres to down his Benchmark 78 rivals and have trainer Ciaron Maher considering a sterner test.“He’s got something there, but we haven’t been able to get it out of him until now,” he said.“We could go down the path of the Naturalism (G3, 2000m) with a light weight, you’ve got to dare to dream.”A 31-1 chance, Convener settled back of midfield before picking up ground 600 metres from home and rounded off strongly in the straight for rider Ben Allen.“The blinkers were off and he was much better, more relaxed the firm track is more his go,” he said.“We got into a perfect spot to put him to sleep and got a good suck into the race and he was too good.”Convener was a two-time winner over ground in England when known as Chairman before relocating to Australia where he has now doubled his career winning tally.He is a son of the unraced Champs Elysee mare Nimbin and is out of a sister to the multiple Group 1 winner and sire Beat Hollow.

Rise At Dawn credited Almanzor with his latest black-type success with a heroic victory at Caulfield where he headed a quinella for our shuttle stallion.The four-year-old continued his terrific run of form when he handled another rise in class with a tenacious performance to claim top honours from Positivity in the Listed Heatherlie Stakes over 1700 metres.“He’s just so tough and fought back so well, it was a great win,” co-trainer JD Hayes said.“That was incredible and all credit to the horse, he’s been up a long time but they say you never turn out a horse in winning form so we’ll probably look for something else now.”Rise At Dawn was quickly into stride to make the running and, after being under heavy pressure in the straight, he lifted gallantly to beat last season’s G3 SA Classic winner Positivity in a driving finish.“He really fought hard for that, I thought he was beaten at the top of the straight,” rider Michael Dee said.“He got headed before he found his second win and lifted again.”The winner of seven of his 12 starts, Rise At Dawn was bred by Monovale Holdings and was a A$90,000 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale graduate.He is an older brother of the Group performer Kay’s Ruebe with their dam the Listed Newmarket Handicap winner and multiple Group 1 placegetter Kay’s Awake.

Asgard’s latest winning run at Te Rapa highlighted the conditioning skills of trainer Lauren Brennan.The powerful son of our shuttle stallion Almanzor overcame testing underfoot conditions for a first-up victory over 1500 metres for the Cambridge horsewoman.Asgard hadn’t been seen since May, but he was produced in prime order and romped to his second career win from just a handful of starts.The patiently handled five-year-old was parked four wide in midfield before rider Triston Moodley allowed him to stride around the field.They were in front at the top of the straight and the gelding held a strong gallop to thump his Rating 65 opposition by three lengths.Brennan said Asgard was still a work in progress and would be seen at his best over 2000 metres and beyond.Bred by Nearco Stud, Asgard was purchased by Homeview Bloodstock for $7250 when offered by Curraghmore via Gavelhouse at New Zealand Bloodstock’s South Island Sale.He is a half-brother to the dual Australian Group 3 winner and Group 1 performer Annavisto with their dam the Tavistock mare Avisto.She was a talented performer who won three Listed events and it’s also the family of our G2 Royal Stakes winner Polygon.