Apache Cat became just the fourth horse to win back-to-back Doomben 10,000s when Damien Oliver guided him to a thrilling win in the Group One feature yesterday.
The striking 6-year-old landed his seventh win at elite level, taking his prizemoney past A$4.4 million with his 18th victory in 38 starts.
Oliver had the Greg Eurell-trained star handy all the way and made his winning move when he dashed him to the front rounding the home turn.
Apache Cat raced well clear but had to dig deep when runner-up Black Piranha charged at him over the closing stages.
And dig deep he did, repelling Black Piranha and third placegetter All Silent.
"He had a good break on them there," Eurell said. "I'm just glad he hung on. He'll have a break now and we'll work out what we're going to do with him in the spring.
Apache Cat joined Black Onyx (1969-70), Prince Trialia (1990-91) and Falvelon (2001-02) as winners of successive Doomben 10,000s.
Victorian trainer Tony Vasil put Carrara on a QTC Sires' Produce Stakes watch after the colt cut through the mud for an impressive win in the Listed Doomben Slipper.
A flashy son of Vasil's former stable star Elvstroem, Carrara charged through the driving rain to post his second win at his third start and his trainer quickly confirmed a seven-day back up into the Sires was high on the agenda.
Carrara impressed his sire's former regular rider, Nash Rawiller.
"That was my first ride on him but he's a push-button horse," he said. "He just kept giving every time I asked him for an effort."
Carrara sprinted powerfully when he found clear running in the straight and held off the fast-finishing Choistar to score by a half-length with the lightly-raced Taffy two lengths back in third.
Gold Coast trainer John Morrisey will spend the next fortnight with one eye turned skyward after wet track specialist Rockdale raced into Queensland Derby calculations with a bold win in the Rough Habit Plate.
Rockdale jumped straight to the front to stall off the challengers for an all-the-way win.
QTC Oaks aspirant Rezyana battled bravely against the colts to finish a half length second with Melbourne visitor Larry's Never Late a gutsy third.
