Noble Protector third at Royal Randwick

Victory went to the Gai Waterhouse-trained Amanpour, who finished almost two lengths ahead of runner-up Catkins, with the Robert Smerdon-trained Noble Protector just a short head further back. She had stayed on with great heart in the last furlong and was closing down on the runner-up with every stride.

Jockey Craig Williams, who wore Qatar Bloodstock's colours, said of the five-year-old mare: "She was gallant in defeat. We rode her to take a sit, she struggled to accelerate on the ground but she ran on really well. She'll be a nice mare in the spring."