Singleton's highly-strung colt This Is Australia, racing in blinkers for the first time, pulled fiercely in front for Robert Thompson and weakened to finish last.

The advertising mogul was supposed to have Dear Demi in the $3 million Caulfield Cup in Melbourne, but trainer Clarry Conners was forced to scratch the mare due to a throat complaint on Friday.

"The worst thing is with a little throat cough ... it's perfect [on Saturday]," said Singleton, who confirmed Dear Demi would head to the Mackinnon Stakes. "She could have ran [in the Caulfield Cup] no problem."

There was a little more joy for Singleton off track as he celebrated his daughter's engagement on Friday night.

Pride would be forgiven for also being in a celebratory mood after odds-on pop Kuro tracked the speed and peeled out under Blake Shinn to post his fourth win on the trot – and first at stakes level – beating home Time For War and Inkling.

Just don't ask whether Melbourne – and more specifically the Coolmore Stud Stakes down the straight on Derby Day – is the next logical step.

"I'm going to get asked the question a thousand times in the next couple of days ... I'm not even thinking about it," he said. "I didn't even think we'd be here at the start of the prep and at some point you've got to say enough is enough and we'll put him away for the autumn.

"I haven't trained a lot of good spring three-year-olds and generally only have the older horses in my stable, so I honestly can't give you a line on him. He's a pretty fair galloper though."