Sapphire Stakes

In the first of many upset wins at Randwick on Saturday, four-year-old mares Renaissance and Beaded gave trainer Peter Snowden the quinella in the $150,000 Group 2 Sapphire Stakes (1200m), which was known this year as the Lady Sonia McMahon Memorial Stakes, but not in the order he or the punters expected.

The clear pre-race favourite following the scratching of Melito was Beaded who started at the short odds of $1.80 but was beaten by a nose by her less favoured stablemate and half-sister Renaissance.

The Les Bridge-trained Jersey Lily ($8.50) finished off the trifecta a further length away.

Heading to the line it looked to be pay day for favourite backers in the 2010 Sapphire Stakes as Beaded lead the way from the 100m mark, but a late charge saw Renaissance snare a photo finish win in the final stride.

Snowden’s third runner Serenissima missed the start and was the last runner to cross the line.

Renaissance will now head to Hawkesbury for the $100,000 Darley Crown on May 1 while Snowden is looking towards the set weight features at the Brisbane winter carnival for Beaded.

It was a day full of upsets at Randwick on Saturday as none of the heavily backed favourites won any of the major feature races

It was a day full of upsets at Randwick on Saturday as none of the heavily backed favourites won any of the major feature races.

Shoot Out, the $4.80 second elect, won the headline race of the day, the $1.3million Group 1 AJC Australian Derby (2400m); the $500,000 Group 1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m) was won by filly Melito ($10) who beat home three runners at single figure odds; and $18 chance Yosei claimed victory in the $300,000 Group 1 AJC Sires Produce Stakes as the hot $3.90 favourite More Strawberries faded to seventh.

2010 Lady Sonia McMahon Memorial Stakes Results: