Popular owners Barry and Midge Griffiths celebrated more black type success with Response (G1 Robert Sangster Stakes) and Booklet (LR Adelaide Guineas) at Morphettville on Saturday.

Response (4m Charge Forward – Live It Up by O’Reilly) was the unlucky runner in the G1 Oakleigh Plate first up this campaign before finishing a solid fourth in G1 Newmarket Hcp behind Black Caviar.

Everything fell into place for the Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra trained mare on Saturday.  She secured an inside run to hold off a determined challenge from Darley homebred Beaded.

Response was a $50,000 buy at the Inglis 2008 Easter II Sale when offered for sale by Alanbridge Stud.  She first came to prominence this time last year when a G3 winner of the VRC Matron Stakes. at Flemington.

The Robert Sangster was her second at the highest level.  She joined Headway as a G1 winner for Arrowfield sire Charge Forward in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield in October.

The Griffiths had earlier won a thrilling edition of the Listed Adelaide Guineas with Booklet.  The Melbourne filly sprinted through a gap near the fence to win in a close finish from Ain’tnofallenstar (Starcraft) and Willow Creek (Tale Of The Cat).

Booklet (3f Tale Of The Cat – Carabine by Anabaa) had won her maiden at Ballarat in October and initially earned black-type with placings at Flemington and Sandown in November.  She was an $82,500 buy at the 2009 Inglis Premier yearling sale when offered by Segenhoe Stud.

Her dam Carabine had earlier been sold carrying Booklet for $75,000 at the 2007 Inglis Broodmare Sale.  Now owned in West Australian interests, she has a 2yo gelding by Dubai Destination, a yearling filly by Trade Fair and was bred back to the Lynward Park shuttler last year.

The Griffiths also have Royal Commands tuning up for a successful campaign.  The Commands mare won the Listed MRC Carsales Classic at Caulfield in October and she returned to racing with an encouraging run behind Psychologist at Caulfield on March 19.

Caulfield had been a happy hunting ground for Barry and Midge ever since their mare Mannerism won the 1992 Caulfield Cup.

Besides Mannerism, they bred Group 1 winners Tawriffic, Northwood Plume and Azzurro at Northwood Park in Seymour.  They bought the century old thoroughbred nursery in 1977 and retained a portion of the property after selling up to Sheikh Mohammed five years ago.