"You wouldn't win that many arguments, that's for sure," Berry said after Sweet Idea's front-running Missile Stakes win at Randwick on Saturday. "She's actually a sweetheart at home, but you can take her to war and put her in the front row there."

And that's exactly what Sweet Idea does. Parks herself in pole position, relaxes for her rider and then dares anyone to get past her.

Team Hawkes' supremely talented Messene was the only one to seriously take up the challenge, but even his head of steam generated under James McDonald wasn't enough as Sweet Idea rallied for her third win at group 2 level.

"She just doesn't make any mistakes," Waterhouse's foreman Mark Newnham said. "She's first out of the barriers, gets there, relaxes and fights like anything. You love horses like that.

"Every time a horse comes at her she just keeps putting her head out. [One of Sweet Idea's owners] Nick Vass said there's five group 1 winners in there [Missile Stakes] and I said hopefully there's a future group 1 winner in there, being her. I'm sure she's capable and she showed today she can mix it with those horses."

Even more impressive was the fact it was Sweet Idea's first start in open age company, but the 1200-metre Missile Stakes trip was always going to suit the select short-course specialists in a race full of resuming stayers.

There was no real surprise Sweet Idea ($4), Messene ($4) and Rebel Dane ($3.40) - the sprinters in the field - filled the trifecta and the rest of the beaten brigade lost no admirers as the former ran her rivals ragged.

"To be first-up in that race with those horses and for me personally he wasn't on the best part of the track on the fence as he got dictated to," Messene's co-trainer Michael Hawkes said after a long-head defeat.

"He's run a super race and I thought he would win and he'll improve out of sight. And to us that's as good as a win. His coat's not there yet and he's got a long way to go, but he's right where we want him to go forward."

Rebel Dane's trainer Gary Portelli said: "Blake [Shinn] was riding it hands and heels and he was just going and once he gave it one around the arse he just took off.

"Perhaps if he'd done that a bit earlier the result would have been different. He looks like a different horse this time [who is] listening to the rider and might get a bit further."

Three-time group 1 winner Boban ($9) flashed home for fourth after bungling the jump, prompting Glyn Schofield to tell stewards he thought the start could have been delayed as his horse appeared unsettled in the stalls.

"I don't think I was really afforded a fair start," Schofield told stewards, arguing Boban was slightly in the air when the button was pushed. "His front legs were in the air when the gates opened. I suppose as jockeys we're asking for a bit more time."

Chief steward Ray Murrihy responded: "We'll never start races if you wait until jockeys tell us to start races."

Chris Waller's other resuming stars Hawkspur (fifth) and Weary (seventh) made pleasing returns over the unsuitable 1200-metres.

Sweet Idea's path to Melbourne could also take in the Warwick Stakes, with Waterhouse mulling whether the Rupert Clarke Stakes and Myer Classic are suitable group 1s as Sweet Idea looks to swell her career earnings over $2 million.

"She kind of lets them get to her and she's not the type of horse that wins by a big margin - and when she gets beat she doesn't get beat by a big margin," Berry said. "She was out on her feet at the 100 [metres], but she just tries so hard. I know the rest of the horses have a lot of improvement, but so does she."