The spring carnival had proven frustrating for champion jockey Michael Rodd. Even Saturday had been a disappointment with Rich Enuff going down, but then Bonaria charged to victory in the Myer Classic at Flemington.
It was Rodd's first group 1 for the season and when he pulled up on the Pat Hyland-trained mare it all came out.
"I ran up arses at Caulfield on her and that is my carnival," Rodd told Hyland's son Sam in an interview on Channel Seven. "She probably should have won."
Hyland jnr hugged Bonaria as the emotion of a group 1 victory for the family got the better of him.
By the time he had weighed in Rodd was more measured, but still excited.
"She needs the edge off the track and she got it. You could feel going to the barriers she was really loose and happy.
"I went back from a pretty average barrier and that's the best way to ride her. Then give her some rein. She's just so honest. Every time she shows up she's in the top few in the finish.
"She's got a brilliant turn-of-foot and when I went for her in the last few hundred metres she really ripped through them."
Bonaria, a $26 outsider, had a length to spare after quickly rounding up her rivals after coming from last, leaving Sweet Idea and Catkins to fight out the minor placings.
For Rodd it was the group 1 he had expected but not the horse he had expected to be on.
"That's the game. It's crazy. I have been in a fortunate position of getting on good horses," he said.
"There was a lot of hype around Rich Enuff, which you can't help but get emotionally involved in. It was big day for him and that was disappointing.
"But once again this race has been good to me," said Rodd, who also won the Myer Classic
on Divine Madonna and Appearance.
Former champion jockey Pat Hyland, who has made a career out of preparing good fillies and mares, rates Bonaria highly.
"She is one of my favourites. I've had some really good fillies. She's very special and she's probably as good as them. She tries harder than any other horse I've had," Hyland said.
"I had a long discussion with Michael about that and she's drawn a good alley a couple of times and she's got into trouble on the inside. I said today, 'look mate, just sit back and enjoy the ride' and win it from the turn home. If you can't win it from the turn home you can't win it.
"It's so fantastic for [owners] Robert and Deb Anderson and they've been with me for many, many years.
Although Sweet Idea was no match for the winner, Tom Berry told connection her time will come after a fourth group 1 placing.
"She was super. She was gone at the 300 but when the other horse [Catkins] came up outside her she just fought and got second because she wanted it," Berry said. "Her day will come."
Chris Waller, who had a treble for day including the Coolmore Stud Stakes with Brazen Beau and the Victoria Derby with Preferment, will have to wait for a big success for his major backer, the Ingham family and their cerise colours.
"I thought at the 300 the dream was going to happen," Waller said. "She has been a length below her best this preparation but she was back to her best there.
"She was brave as ever and was tough."
