Racing: Black Piranha will try for Stradbroke Hcp hat-trick

Trainer Con Karakatsanis vowed to bring Black Piranha back to Queensland next year for a record-breaking third Stradbroke Handicap attempt after the sprinter etched his name into the record books at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Black Piranha became just the seventh horse to win successive group one Stradbrokes since the race was first run in 1890, nailing Sydney filly Melito on the line to score by a short half-head in the 1400m feature.

Trainer Paul Messara, who is in England with Alverta, would have been delighted with Mic Mac's effort to finish third, only a long head away.

The disappointments came from Melbourne stablemates Whobegotyou and Catapulted who finished 11th and 12th respectively, while fellow Victorian Ortensia was third last.

Jockey Michael Rodd felt Whobegotyou was in trouble on the home turn and believed the sprinter jarred up on the hard track.

Black Piranha gave Karakatsanis his first group one success in last year's sprint and he never gave up on the 6-year-old winning his second, despite playing second fiddle to some of his more-fancied opponents.

Karakatsanis said the excitement of winning with Black Piranha for a second time far outweighed his joy last year. "In the last six months nothing has gone right for this horse," he said.

"Until you go back-to-back you don't know the feeling. I thought he was going to be 20 wide on the home turn when 'Whobe' shunted him out on the corner."

- AAP