Robert Smerdon has secured his second Ballarat Cup - 21 years after the first with McGuane.
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Grand Dreamer ($7.50) made the most of a rain-affected track to charge home and score from Oncidium Ruler, with Grey Lion ($3.60 favourite) a courageous third for Matt Cumani.
Smerdon grew up as a member of one of Ballarat's best known racing families - his father Bob and legendary uncle Arthur Smerdon also being trainers.
While Smerdon has the bulk of his team at the headquarters of Aquanita racing at Caulfield, he still has a major presence with a Ballarat stable that has up to 30 horses.
In a brutal staying test, Grand Dreamer, Oncidium Ruler, Grey Lion and Mr Garcia were all in a line across the track at the 200m mark.
But it was Smerdon’s galloper that finished best to win by one-and-three-quarter-lengths.
HOW THEY FINISHED
$7.50 GRAND DREAMER Patrick Moloney
$10 ONCIDIUM RULER Beau Mertens (a)
$3.60 FAV GREY LION Jordan Childs
$31 DE LITTLE ENGINE
$4 MR GARCIA
$6.50 ANTONIO GIUSEPPE
$31 BIG BLUE
$31 EXTRA ZERO
$26 BIG MEMORY
$101 JIMMIE JIM
$21 KNOWABLE
$21 SONNTAG