Ridden by Christian Reith, Danesiri defeated the Gai Waterhouse-trained Cosmic Endeavour by three-quarters of a length with Mahara from the Peter and Paul Snowden stable finishing another 1-1/2 lengths back in third. (photo Lisa Grimm)
It was an emotional John Thompson who paid tribute to his former mentor, Guy Walter.
"He was a massive supporter of mine; the family gave me a lot of horses after his passing.
"What can you say? He was an absolute champion of a man and it's an honour to win his race.
"When I went for my trainers licence he was one of three people who gave me a great reference, three pages hand written that sums up the man, it's a massive honour.
"Special mention to (Danesiri's previous trainer) Wayne Wilkes, I got the horse off him in fantastic order and a lot of this goes to him."
The victory takes the overall record of Danesiri to 7 wins, 6 seconds and 5 thirds from 37 starts for earnings of $270,260.
Her sire Home On The Grange was a $200,000 yearling who broke his maiden at his first start at Yarra Glenn but he added just a pair of minor races at Taree in a 21 start career that returned just over $23,000.
He retired to stud in 2004 and has never served more than 20 mares and as little as four in 2009.
Last spring the son of Danehill covered 11 mares at Oxley Island Thoroughbreds at a fee of $1,650.
One of his regular visitors was the unraced Filante mare Lea Tonde whose dam Destiny (Bureaucracy) is a sister to Jade Tiara who would earn fame as the dam of Hong Kong's horse Of The Year Silent witness as well as the top-class Group II winner Sister Madly.
Lea Tonde has a filly foal by May'Haab, an unraced son of Redoute's Choice who was a $950,000 yearling, and was bred back to the same stallion.
