Star Exhibit lasted home to win Saturday’s $500,000 Group II Perth Cup (2400m) in a driving finish at Ascot.
Star Exhibit winning the ATA Stakes. Photo: Western Racepix
Star Exhibit ($5) looked set for a comfortable victory when going clear 200m out but Neverland ($19) came with a determined finish on the outside to miss by a nose.
Tradesman ($7.50) finished two lengths away third in front of Perfect Reflection, which was shuffled back to last at the home turn before making late headway and give owner Bob Peters four of the first five home.
Kia Ora Koutou started the $4.40 favourite but endured a torrid run, four wide from halfway and ridden forward to be challenging around the home turn before tiring to finish ninth, beaten five lengths.
A five-year-old by Statue Of Liberty, Star Exhibit came from last to win the $100,000 Listed ATA Stakes (2200m) at Ascot on Saturday. He was one of five runners in the race for co-trainers Geoff Durrant and Jason Miller and the second win in the race for Jarrad Noske, who won in 2013 aboard Talent Show.
“He’s got that little bit of brilliance about him,” Miller told Sky Racing. “On the line, I thought we’d got done.”
Peters has won the past three runnings of the race with Real Love in 2015 and Delicacy on New Year’s Day in 2016.
“It feels good, that’s three in a row,” Peters said. “We got four out of the first five, that’s good.”
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