Out of luck in his three previous attempts at $1 million Group 1 William Hill Manikato Stakes (1200m), everything fell into place for Gary Portelli's $61 outsider Rebel Dane at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
A rail-hugging ride by Ben Melham on the 7-year-old entire proved the difference as he edged the ever-consistent Fell Swoop by a short-neck with Japonisme a length back in third.(photos Grant Courtney).
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With the Golden Slipper winner Capitalist a late scratching due to the deteriorating track, the short-priced favourite Chautauqua proved very disappointing. His trademark barnstorming finish failed to materialize and he plodded home into seventh place just behind Buffering.
Co-trainer Wayne Hawkes said Chautauqua would now be spelled until next autumn while Buffering's trainer Robert Heathcote said the 7-time Group 1 winning son of Mossman had run his last race.
"It's done, he's done and dusted. The horse means too much to too many people and it's been an amazing journey." Heathcote said.
It was the second win at the highest level for the Rebel Dane after the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield over three years ago.
Following that win, the son of California Dane went winless in 12 starts over the next two years before a throat operation saw him bounce back in the Group II The Shorts (1100m) at Randwick in September 2015.
Coincidently, Rebel Dane again went winless in his next 12 starts and it looked that his best was behind him.
"It has been a great team effort by our staff," Portelli said.
"We have been taking him down to the beach, putting him over some hurdles and just trying to break it up.
"He's a seven-year-old stallion. I knew that he had it in him, his last start at Randwick he ran 32.80 his last 600 and it was the second fastest outside of Astern, so I said we had to have a go at this race.
"Here we are in the winner's circle.
Portelli said the lack of interest as a stallion prospect was one of the reasons Rebel Dane is still racing.
There haven't been many opportunities so far, a lot of the two-year-olds and three-year-olds get those places pretty quick these days.
"I have to thank Louie Mihalyka and the syndicate for leaving him with us and giving us the chance to have another crack at the Manikato.
"We could have pulled up stumps earlier in this campaign, but we have been confident the horse has been right and it is only a matter of getting some luck and he would finish in the top five tonight.
"The cut in the ground certainly helped him and he's always run well in this race,"
Winner of the Group II Royal Sovereign Stakes and Group III Show County Quality in addition to his Group 1 triumph, the son of California Dane advances his overall record to 8 wins, 4 seconds and 5 thirds from 36 starts with earnings of $2,408,600
Bred and part-owned by Louis Mihalyka's Laurel Oak Bloodstock, Rebel Dane is the first foal of the More Than Ready (USA) mare Texarcana the winner of three of her 30 starts.
Texarcana has a 2yo filly by Foxwedge and a yearling filly by The Factor (USA).
She was covered by Zoffany (IRE) last season but missed.
Rebel Dane is one of two Group I winners sired by California Dane, the other being the NZ 1000 Guineas winner Platinum Witness.
After seven seasons at stud, the final two leaving just a handful of foals, California Dane died in February 2014.
