Jim Cassidy and Nash Rawiller emerged as the most successful Group One riders of the Sydney autumn carnival with Gai Waterhouse leading the trainers' ranks.All three claimed three Group One races each over a bumper few weeks which produced some new stars but none shone brighter than the older brigade.The veterans were led by the seemingly ageless Takeover Target whose TJ Smith Stakes win was one for the ages as his nine-year-old legs carried Rawiller to a record breaking victory.That heavyweight

Jim Cassidy and Nash Rawiller emerged as the most successful Group One riders of the Sydney autumn carnival with Gai Waterhouse leading the trainers' ranks.

All three claimed three Group One races each over a bumper few weeks which produced some new stars but none shone brighter than the older brigade.

The veterans were led by the seemingly ageless Takeover Target whose TJ Smith Stakes win was one for the ages as his nine-year-old legs carried Rawiller to a record breaking victory.

That heavyweight rider Rawiller was on the champion at all was a surprise after regular partner Jay Ford was dropped with trainer Joe Janiak concerned about Takeover Target carrying too much dead weight.

Rawiller was thrilled for the once in a lifetime opportunity.

"It was a privilege to ride him, I was just a passenger out there," Rawiller said.

If Takeover Target's win was easy, Typhoon Tracy's Coolmore success was just as impressive while Onemorenomore was emphatic in the Champagne Stakes.

Three-year-old Typhoon Tracy went into the Coolmore unbeaten from four starts and dominated from the outset while Onemorenomore gave big spending Nathan Tinkler his first Group One winner from the yearlings he purchased in 2008.

Although Rawiller felt for Ford over the TJ Smith riding change, he himself had experienced a similar disappointment early in the carnival.

He was dropped from Golden Slipper favourite More Joyous with Darren Beadman called back from Hong Kong to ride the filly.

Rawiller rode Waterhouse stablemate Manhattan Rain in the Slipper to finish third with More Joyous out of the placings.

It was still a Rawiller victory with Nash's brother Brad taking the ride on Queenslander Phelan Ready who added the Slipper to his Magic Millions triumph.

At 46, Cassidy has won every major race on the Australian calendar but showed he was not about to rest on his laurels with the George Ryder-Doncaster double on Vision And Power and the AJC Australian Derby aboard Roman Emperor.

The evergreen Bart Cummings trains Roman Emperor while fellow octogenarian Jack Denham reminded everyone he is still a force with Metal Bender claiming two Group Ones.

Another veteran, 72-year-old New Zealander Kevin Gray visited Sydney for the first time in the company of a small but tough filly Daffodil who cleaned up the Oaks field with ease.

The Sydney Cup was a triumph for eight-year-old Ista Kareem and rounded out an intense final four weekends of racing.

The format for the revamped carnival was mostly met with positive comment with the traditional Easter dates for Randwick a thing of past.

The Golden Slipper meeting is to be held on the first Saturday in April for at least another two years followed by three Saturdays at Randwick.