While Kris Lees was understandably elated with a second group 1 victory in just seven days when Clearly Innocent scored in the Kingsford-Smith Cup at Eagle Farm, the trainer, however, wanted to take a low-profile moment after the race.
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Lees, who was successful in last Saturday's Doomben Cup with Sense Of Occasion, wanted all at Eagle Farm to know that Clearly Innocent's win would be dedicated to the horse's former trainer Greg Bennett
who handed in his trainer's licence to take up a role with Queensland-based racing and breeding operation Aquis.
"It's as much Greg Bennett's win today, he's here today and hopefully he got a really good kick out of it as well," Lees told Sky Racing. "He was very well looked after in the early stages of his career and I'm the one now getting the rewards for that."
Clearly Innocent, who settled back in the field, was taken widest at the top of the straight and reeled in the leader, brave Victorian galloper Jungle Edge, before powering away to score easily.
"Unbelievable," winning jockey Hugh Bowman said. "He gave me such a great feel.
"There was a query in the class rise, I knew he had it in him, whether it was today or in the future. He's a really impressive horse."
Clearly Innocent ($11) defeated the Mick Bell-trained Jungle Edge ($5.50 equal favourite) by three lengths, with Chris Waller's Counterattack ($6) another 3?? lengths away in third.
In a strong Stradbroke Handicap trial, Clearly Innocent thrashed his rivals and will now be the horse to beat in the group 1 handicap in two weeks' time.
And the second run in seven days for outstanding sprinter Black Heart Bart may have taken its toll when he struggled to make ground in the closing stages of the race.
Very firm in the market, the multiple group 1 winner didn't have the same zip that he displayed earlier in the autumn or last spring.
It's unsure what trainer Darren Weir will do after his effort in the Kingsford-Smith Cup.
And the Brisbane Race Club has no immediate plans to move the Queensland Oaks meeting to Doomben despite Eagle Farm again chopping up.
The club has denied it has any plans to move the remaining two meetings of the Brisbane winter carnival.
Jockeys were divided on Saturday's track although all agreed it played like a heavy surface even though there had been no rain for more than a week.
After the first race, Kerrin McEvoy said it was the worst track he had ridden on, but another experienced rider, Corey Brown, said it was playing better than it looked.
He said he had never ridden on a surface with the same feeling about it, but it was safe.
A spokesman for Brisbane Race Club, Michael Crutcher, said the club knew nothing of reports there would be a meeting after the last race to decide whether to move next week's Oaks meeting to Doomben.
"At this time there is no such plan. We are not considering moving any race meeting at this time. The jockeys say the track is safe and that is the main thing," Crutcher said.
"The betting has been strong again and to move either the Oaks or the Derby would cost the industry and the club a lot of money."
