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Retired champion Takeover Target has kicked off the Australian Turf Club's Sydney autumn carnival which gets into full swing with the Coolmore Classic.
Corey Brown has been on the backs of many of Australia's biggest race winners but on Monday he got to sit on a champion.
Retired international sprinter Takeover Target stole the show at the launch of the Sydney autumn carnival at Bondi Beach, posing for pictures on Campbell Parade with Brown on top and fashion ambassadors at his side.
Brown was all set to take the champ for a stroll on the famous sand but the prospect of a $50,000 fine made officials nervous and he backed off.
"I reckon he would be the best horse I've ever sat on," Brown said.
"I couldn't believe how well behaved he was. He took it all in and posed for the pictures."
The story of Takeover Target is part of racing folklore with former part-time Queanbeyan taxi driver Joe Janiak training him to win races all over mainland Australia as well as Singapore, Japan and Royal Ascot.
Janiak famously paid less than $1400 for Takeover Target who won more than $6 million in his glittering career.
His most famous Sydney victory came in the twilight of his career when he dominated the 2009 Group One TJ Smith Stakes which is on the first day of the Randwick autumn carnival.
Three weeks of Group One racing at Rosehill begins this Saturday culminating in the $3.5 million Golden Slipper on April 7.
The carnival moves to Randwick the following week for the Australian Derby, followed on successive Saturdays by the Doncaster Mile and Sydney Cup days.
With limited facilities at Randwick due to major reconstruction of the site, the Australian Turf Club will open the racecourse's infield area for 4000 racegoers.
The club accommodated just over 9000 people for Saturday's Randwick Guineas but many were looking for shelter when the rain came.
ATC chairman John Cornish said strong demand for pre-paid tickets for Guineas day prompted the club to find a way to get more people into the course for its premier races.
Tickets for the infield go on sale for $25 through Ticketek on Thursday with the price reduced to $20 for those purchased before March 31.
