He said seeing Archie Alexander take out the Ballarat Cup was the most satisfying moment in his eight years overeeing the BTC.

McKenzie was a major player in attracting the English-born and raised Alexander to Ballarat in 2014 to launch his training career.

Building the training ranks and status of Ballarat as a training centre was a major focus for McKenzie throughout his tenure.

As well as seeing the likes of Darren Weir's former stable grow to mega status and when possible attract experienced operators, McKenzie wanted to provide opportunities emerging young training talent.

Alexander fitted the bill.

He had been around horses all his life, worked in the stables of leading trainers around the world and it was time to go out on his own.

McKenzie said Alexander had other options, but chose Ballarat.

"He's grown as a trainer and now this."

Alexander took Kiwia to victory in the listed $500,000 Sportsbet Ballarat Cup on Saturday.

While Kiwia made it two wins on end in the race, it was the stayer's first time in the care of Alexander and just the second time he had a runner in the race.

McKenzie said what impressed him about Alexander most along with his horsemanship was his steady nature, and ability to get on with the job.

"He's an impressive person."

McKenzie has no doubt Alexander is on the way to the top of his profession.

Alexander has chalked up almost 180 winners since he first saluted with Tyanna in 2014.

Imported stayer Renew gave a kick start as one of his early stable members.

The Irish-bred import won the listed Sandown Cup with his third start for Alexander and went on to run third in an group 2 Adelaide Cup.

Alexander has gradually been building in numbers and strike rate.

He topped 200 starters in 2016-17 and 2017-18 for 34 and 36 winners and then last season has his best winning tally to date with 59 from almost 400 runners.

He managed to finish in the top 20 nationally on country tracks.

Alexander was 16th overall in Victoria, three more than another English-born Ballarat trainer Matt Cumani.

Alexander is sitting 15th this season - one behind Freedman and three ahead of Cumani.

With each of this trio having set up stables in Ballarat during McKenzie's time in office with the Ballarat Turf Club, it is not difficult to see why he has had so much satisfaction out of developing the training stocks at Dowling Forest. And there's more to come.

Hawker Hurricane earned a unique place in the annals of Ballarat racing on Saturday.

He became the first to win in the clockwise and the traditional anti-clockwise direction at the Dowling Forest circuit.

Hawker Hurricane ($13) took out the Magic Millions 2yo Clockwise Classic last year and backed up in Saturday's $150,000 Magic Millions 3yo and 4yo Classic, 1100m.

Trained by Michael Moroney at Flemington, the gelding had not won since the clockwise classic.

Hawker Hurricane had a long neck to spare from L'il Kontra ($2.30 favourite), with the Matt Cumani-trained Akkadian ($18) third.

Although he had not won in 12 months, Hawker Hurricane had had minor placings in three black-type race, including a group 3 and two listed events.

Stable representative Jack Turnbull said Hawker Hurricane might now go to the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas on the Gold Coast, 1400m, in January.

He said although the three-year-old had had a few runs this campaign he could easily be freshened up and go north if he was all right.

Jockey Jordan Childs said he was always confident a long way out - sitting outside the leader - that he was going to be able to hold them off and that he managed that.

Hawker Hurricane also becomes the second runner to win two Magic Million features on Ballarat Cup Day.

Murt The Flirt won the Magic Millions 3yo Stakes in 2014 and returned a year later to take out the first running of the MM 3yo and 4yo Classic.

The Corstens family made their mark in Ballarat on Saturday.

Flemington-based Leon Corsten and son Troy drew first blood for the clan with Titan Blinders ($8.50) in the $75,000 Event Aid Benchmark70 Handicap, 1100m.

Then Kevin Corstens - another son of Leon - from Cranbourne scored with Kaplumpich ($8.50) in the $125,000 Suez McKellar Mile, 1600m.

While Leon and Troy were not on course to mark the achievement owing to a family birthday, Kevin was and could not remember the two stables having wins on the same day previously.

"It's a great day for the family and what a day to do it," he said.

Jockey Mark Zahra also brought up a double on Titan Blinders and Kaplumpich.

Mornington trainer Shane Nichols is planning on spending some summertime on the Gold Coast.

He revealed his intention to head north with Tahitian Dancer after she won the $125,000 Haymarket Ballarat Mares Benchmark78, 1200m on Saturday.

Tahitian Dancer ($5.50 equal favourite) is being set for a $1 million Magic Millions fillies and mares' event on January 11.

Nichols was impressed by her run. "She was pretty dominant today, settled back and really let rip."