"Because when you're doing the sort of work he does at home, having those decent horses looming up alongside you every morning, once he got his own head in front and won his own race in the Bendigo Cup he thought he was King Kong."
This spring is the first time Appleby has had horses in Melbourne.
"It's been a great learning curve. We couldn't have asked for it to go any better," Appleby said.
Scottish was second in the $3 million Caulfield Cup and was ruled out of Saturday's Emirates Stakes because of a sprained fetlock.
Qewy won the Geelong Cup, was fourth in the Melbourne Cup and is scheduled to run in the Sandown Cup next Saturday, while Oceanographer was third at Geelong and won the Lexus Stakes before being unplaced in the Melbourne Cup.
Second Wave was unplaced in the Moonee Valley Cup.
Meanwhile Souchez has landed a betting plunge in a stakes race at Flemington after being at death's door less than six months ago.
The locally trained Godolphin galloper was backed from $20 to $10 before winning the Hilton Stakes yesterday.
Trainer John O'Shea explained Souchez became ill after finishing fourth in the Group One JJ Atkins Stakes at Eagle Farm in June.
"We thought we were going to lose him," O'Shea said.
"It's been a big effort by all the staff to get him back."
Ridden by James McDonald, Souchez overcame a wide draw to score a short-neck victory over Inside Agent ($10) with Man From Uncle ($15) the same margin away third.
- AAP