"We heard Weissmuller was going to lead and we were worried he'd cross Puccini and ease right down in the middle stages and Puccini would go too keenly."
The pace did not ease in the middle stages down the back straight and Puccini compounded his own issues by racing fiercely, anyway.
"It was difficult to run those sectionals and kick on late in the race after going too keenly," said Jacob McKay. "He's a much better horse than that effort shows."
Puccini will have tests on his heart today. "Obviously we have to ensure everything is right with his heart before we can go any further."
There was certainly nothing wrong with the heart of Who Shot Thebarman when winning the A$125,000 ($140,000) The Bart Cummings at Flemington on Saturday. The former New Zealander looked to be in trouble approaching the Flemington home turn, but the further he went the stronger he got.
"I wasn't sure we were going to win on the bend," said winning rider Glen Boss. "Then at the 250m he started getting stronger and I thought we'd probably win and late in the race he was working stronger and stronger."
Boss was shy about whether Who Shot Thebarman was up to Melbourne Cup class.
"I don't know how far he will go, but he's got something about him. We haven't got to the ceiling yet, that's for sure."
Who Shot Thebarman looks an ideal Flemington horse and is likely to be better placed in the Melbourne Cup on spacious Flemington than the Caulfield Cup on the tighter track.
New trainer Chris Waller is waiting to see what, if any, re-handicap Who Shot Thebarman receives for Saturday's win. The gelding needs one to make either race - he is 39th in order of entry for the Caulfield Cup and 37th for the Melbourne Cup.
Silent Achiever's ninth in Saturday's A$500,000 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington was a real head-shaker.
Trainer Roger James declared he was to ask Damien Oliver to ride Silent Achiever forward and just back of the pace after being disappointed where the mare had settled in running in the Underwood Stakes at her previous start.
She settled 12th in running on Saturday and never recovered, finishing 5.05 lengths from winner Lucia Valentina.
Like everyone else, Kiwi trainer Donna Logan was impressed with the Lucia Valentina victory, which she watched on television from Randwick.
"She was very strong to the line and looks the horse we have to beat in the Caulfield Cup. She looks like she's grown another leg."
Bookmakers installed Lucia Valentina the $6 Caulfield Cup favourite behind Japanese visitor Bande at $9 and Who Shot Thebarman (11).
Meanwhile, there is no disappointment in the Logan camp that Rising Romance was beaten in Saturday's A$125,000 Craven Plate at Randwick.
Rising Romance, at $1.85, was run down in the final strides by the Chris Waller-trained Hawkspur. "No, I'm very happy with her," said trainer Donna Logan.
Logan accepts that nothing around the effort of Rising Romance went right for the high-class mare.
"There was no pace in the race, which we knew was going to be the case. We decided to allow her to jump and see where she ended up and she put herself right in the race and ended up leading."
Logan and rider James McDonald resigned themselves to defeat once in front.
Rising Romance made a brave attempt after leading early in the home straight, but Hawkspur had the last run at her. "James came back in and said: 'Well, she's no leader'.
"We knew that - she's a much better chaser."
