All Too Hard, the son of Casino Prince and Black Caviar's dam Helsinge, had won his first two races this autumn, the CF Orr Stakes and the Futurity Stakes, both at group one and both in Melbourne.
Like Black Caviar, he needed to do it in Sydney where he had disappointed last spring.
And 300m from the finish on Saturday, he looked to be struggling.
But in the style of a good horse he lifted and beat the front-running Rain Affair by a half length.
If all goes to plan, he will leave for England within a couple of weeks, never to race in Australia again.
The prowess of the great Zabeel received an unnecessary but telling boost with the win of his grandson Usainity in the Frank Packer Plate (2000m) at Randwick.
Usainity is a son of Zabeel's previously little-known son Zed, a stallion so disregarded he stood for $500 and served Clydesdale mares.
"You just can't beat Zabeel," said trainer Murray Baker.
"You can put him to the gate post and you'd still get a winner."
Usainity ($9) scored by a head from Honorius ($17), with Kingdoms ($12) a length further back in third.
Baker, who has already won the Australian Derby with star colt It's A Dundeel, will now attempt to add the Queensland Derby to his classic list with Usainity.
- AAP
