THE domain of class thoroughbreds is usually a carnival Saturday but punters should not disregard yesterday's Canterbury meeting, reports Craig Young in the Sydney Morning Herald.He says: Racing giants Bart Cummings and Gai Waterhouse produced a couple of carnival players, while a former South African is gearing up for an assault on the $3.5 million Golden Slipper.The Waterhouse-trained Once Were Wild, which is owned in partnership by John Singleton and carries his new Gut Foundation colours, ra

THE domain of class thoroughbreds is usually a carnival Saturday but punters should not disregard yesterday's Canterbury meeting, reports Craig Young in the Sydney Morning Herald.

He says: Racing giants Bart Cummings and Gai Waterhouse produced a couple of carnival players, while a former South African is gearing up for an assault on the $3.5 million Golden Slipper.

The Waterhouse-trained Once Were Wild, which is owned in partnership by John Singleton and carries his new Gut Foundation colours, ran older rivals into the ground.

A race later, Cummings finally produced sprinter-on-the-rise Griffon. The four-year-old has been scratched from the past two Saturday meetings because of minor setbacks but took his record to three wins from four starts.

David Payne, who trains at Rosehill, having landed several premierships in South Africa, produced first-starter Masquerader, which was crunched in the betting ring before toughing out a win.

''He is a serious racehorse,'' Payne said. ''I'll run him in one of those lead-up races to the Golden Slipper and then have a look. He is not nominated [for the Slipper] but if he is good enough we'll pay up.''

Masquerader was ridden by South African Glyn Schofield, who was also aboard Griffon. ''The first morning I worked him [Masquerader], I said to David, 'He was one of your best','' Schofield said.