The Breeders Crown was placed back into its royal encrusted box at Geelong tonight with the pacing and trotting silver finals drawing the curtain on the 2018 series and producing a string of surprises.
All favourites were pipped to the post tonight and among those to salute in the six Group 3 silver races were three who previously held maiden status, setting the scene perfectly for tomorrow’s all-maiden Humbletonian Day at Maryborough.
Here’s how they came and conquered:
RUNAWAY Success made the most of tightening favourite Aleppo Jewel’s misfortune to salute in the night’s first silver trot – the Woodlands Stud/Yabby Dam Farms Breeders Crown race for three-year-olds.
Kerryn Manning’s talented Angus Hall trotter played up in the score up, missing the start which forced it to play catch-up throughout before eventually running a bold third.
From there Aleppo Jewel never really threatened to take the title away from Blake Fitzpatrick’s Runaway Success, who clawed over Kyvalley Frank late (Brent Lilley/Anthony Butt) to win the $20,000 trot.
It was Gavin Lang’s first steer of Runaway Success and the three-year-old New South Wales-trained gelding’s first run in Victoria since an 11th at Tabcorp Park Melton in the 2017 Breeders Crown two-year-old trotting final.
THERE was something of an upset in the race to follow with Ozzie Bogan, the outsider of the six-horse field, steered down the sprint lane by trainer-driver Glenn Douglas to salute in the Hygain Breeders Crown Championship four-year-old pace.
The Somebeachsomewhere four-year-old has been a consistent placegetter, finishing top three in 30 of his 59 starts, with tonight bringing his seventh win and biggest payday.
EVEN at season’s end you can expect the unexpected in a two-year-old trot and we certainly got that in the Aldebaran Park Breeders Crown silver race.
The eight-horse field briskly shrunk as some put a foot wrong, including $2.25 chance Par Ici. Much of the focus was on Alpha Male, Emma Stewart’s first trotter 
and Chris Alford steered him with confidence, shadowing Anthony Butt and Beau Garcon as they advanced to the front mid-race.
But Alpha Male made a mistake on debut and Beau Garcon dominated proceedings from there for Yabby Dam Racing trainer Anton Golino. It was a pleasing result for the team given the Orlando Vici colt had placed only once in his six starts, but it was Alpha Male’s recovery that will likely carry most conversation.
Seeming a complete and utter wash since his gallop, Alpha Male stormed home down the final straight to almost pinch second from Hallaboutme.
THERE was a ripping result for trainer Brett Bunfield in the Woodlands Stud Breeders Crown three-year-old silver pace when Saphirique reminded she is a horse of talent.
Having sat parked for much of the going, Gavin Lang steered the three-year-old filly past Emma Stewart-trained favourite Tenniele Erin, who did plenty of work early to gain the lead.
Saphirique paid $7.90 on the tote for her 3.5m win from Stewart pair Bettorockbettoroll and Tenniele Erin, who were at the front of a pack fighting for the minor placings.
The eighth career win by Saphirique, who is owned by Miami’s Marc Hanover and Gordon Banks, added another nice trophy to the Southern Cross Series three-year-old fillies win captured at Globe Derby in July.
PROLIFFIC Victorian trainer Danny Zavitsanos had plenty to smile about in the IRT Breeders Crown Silver 
Pace for three-year-old colts and geldings.
His pair quinealled the competitive $30,000 Group 3, both for trainer Nathan Jack, with Mark Pitt guiding Think About Me to the front from gate three and controlling the race to the finish line.
The second successive victory for the Christian Cullen three-year-old was snapped up by 3.4m from stablemate War Dan, with favourite New South Wales visitor The Black Prince filling out the placings.
THE Stewart stable’s depth was on show again in the Woodlands Stud Breeders Crown Silver Pace for the two-year-old colts and geldings, with first-starter Demon Delight unaffected from sitting in the breeze to career away and win on debut.
Running for owners Pam and Russell Hockham, Demon Delight got home in 56.7 seconds for the last 800m to win ahead of stablemate and favourite Nostra Ideal, with Perfect Major filling out the placings.
All the more remarkable was that Stewart was also dominant in Saturday night’s Breeders Crown two-year-old boys final, producing not only winner Hurricane Harley and runner-up Centenario, but five of the 12 finalists.
ROSIE Sambrosie emerged from the throng to win the last of the night’s Breeders Crown silver races, saluting in the Always B Miki Alabar Breeders Crown race for two-year-old fillies.
My Anna Rani found the front from gate six for Kima Frenning and controlled the race, with Rosie Sambrosie nestled three back on the pegs and needing all sorts of luck to emerge.
She got it late, sneaking through on the leader’s inside to win amid a wall of close finishers, with only 2.4m separating the first five. Millah Joy and Izzy Jolie filled out the placings, but the biggest smile would have been reserved for owner Elizabeth Maclean after Rosie Sambrosie broke her maiden at start 12.
