In what was the horse’s first appearance in a race since the unforgettable victory at Flemington in November last year, the Darren Weir-trained gelding stormed home down the outside to finish second to stablemate Tonopah in the group 3 R A Lee Stakes, 1600m.

“It was terrific, wasn't it," said Weir. "With the slow tempo, I said to Michelle, don't be getting back too far because we thought it was going to be slow. He didn't have much cover for the whole race, but he still kept coming ... that was the plan to keep him out of trouble and make sure he had a good gallop.

“He ran through the line terrific. He will probably have a good break now, a couple of weeks, him and Tall Ship will go off to a water walker somewhere and have a couple of weeks of rest and relaxation with a bit of water walking of a morning before they start their spring campaigns.”

Jockey Michelle Payne was also impressed.

“It was a huge run, he even exceeded my expectations to the line,” Payne said.

Payne was not surprised by such a strong showing, insisting the horse would improve now as he hit full maturity.

“He always showed me he would be so competitive in the Melbourne Cup. I have always had great faith in his ability and there's no doubt he's not getting any worse.”